Save Lake Naivasha waters

Letter to Daily Nation on Friday, September 27, 2002

I have read with interest the points raised by Mr John Kamau (Daily Nation, August 27) and Mr John Wamalwa (Daily Nation , September 16) and the responses from the Kenya Flower Council's chief executive.

Surely, the Naivasha Municipal Council cannot continue to look the other way and allow this unchecked and excessive extraction of water from the lake by flower farms for commercial purposes This is happening while the residents suffer from persistent water shortages.

While it is commendable that the Nakuru District Commissioner has instructed the flower farms to install meters for their use of the lake's water to be monitored, I strongly feel that the only way to control the use is to charge its users a fair rate.

The revenue generated can be used to improve the water and its delivery in the municipality and its environs and take care of the necessary health and education facilities.

Secondly, it would be good for the KFC to respond to the specific issues raised by the two articles:

• How is it monitoring and controlling the water us by its members? Blaming illegal fishermen for destroying the habitat (by the Riparian Association) is wearing thin. The flower farms' negative impact cannot be likened to that of the few fishermen trying to eke out a living.
• With our universities and colleges producing graduates and postgraduates in floriculture and horticulture for the past 15 years, and given the long time this sector has existed in our country, how can anyone justify the high number of expatriates in it?
• Are your guidelines or code of ethics in line with the International Labour Organisation's declarations on fair wages, freedom of association, etc.
• I see little logic in comparing Costa Rica with Kenya since the KFC has not stated whether the two countries are endowed with similar resources.

In any case, we should not be in competition with other countries if the end result is the depletion and wanton exploitation of our resources and people. This is against the concept of sustainable development.

Finally, it is high time the Naivasha Municipal Council, the Ministry of Labour and the Central organisation of Trade Unions woke up to protect our resources and workers. This is why we pay them.

CHARLES NGWARE,
Naivasha.