How source of life turned into river of death

Families bathing in River Riana. It is said that the river’s waters carry cholera. [PHOTO: BENJAMIN OBEGI/STANDARD]

Kenya: Elkana Onyango, 62, remembers vividly that River Riana used to be very clean until the early 1990s when heightened human activity resulted in its pollution. The river, shared by three counties - Kisii, Migori and Homa Bay - has over the last few years been identified as the source of dirty water for thousands of users downstream.

This has led to frequent diarrhoea outbreaks among its users. “This river used to be clean. But these days, it is very dirty because of human activities. Towns where the river originates have poor sewerage treatment and management systems.

Most of the sewage empties into the river in its raw form, thus endangering the lives of thousands of consumers who depend on water from the river for domestic use,” says Mr Onyango. Indeed, over the years, environmentalists have pointed fingers at the sewerage treatment in Suneka, Kisii County. Most of the sewage, they say, reaches River Riana before it is fully treated.Onyango believes this is why the once clean river is turning green and is a source of water-borne diseases. There is a more serious and direct danger to the thousands who use water from the river.Migori County, with a population of more than one million, does not have access to piped water.

Major towns

The situation is worse in major towns where residents depend on water vendors for the supply of the important commodity. In what was seen as a pointer to the danger emanating from the river, early this year, Migori County had an outbreak of cholera, which led to the death of several people and left several others hospitalised.

The disease spread downstream into Homa Bay County. This led to an inter-county intervention that was intended check the threat.

According to Tom Odheng’, the community health services coordinator in Migori County, the solution lies in taming human activities along the river.“Most water consumers identified the river as the source of the cholera. Though we have raised the same concern over the years, our neighbouring counties have not appreciated the link. But this year, we decided to approach the authorities for a common approach,” he said.

Dr Stanley Aranda, the Rongo public health officer, said the solution to future cholera outbreaks and other diseases lies in ensuring that harmful human activities along River Riana are stopped.