- Fishermen said fish prices have gone up due to the poor harvests recorded at the lake
- The number of visitors, he said, has dropped significantly due to the prevailing condition of the lake
Activities in Lake Victoria in Kisumu county have been hampered after water hyacinth covered sections of the lake.
The situation has affected fishing and tourist activities such as boat riding and various water sports.
This is the first time the weed has resurfaced since 2018, with various stakeholders urging the government to act swiftly before it gets out of hand.
Some of the establishments affected by the weed include, Dunga Beach, Hill Camp, Hideout Resort and Milimani Beach Resort.
This is in addition to Kisumu Gold club, Yacht club, Le Pearl, Locco beach, Bingo beach, and Hippo Point beach.
Government establishments such as the Port of Kisumu, Kenya Shipyards, and Kenya Pipeline Corporation have also been affected.
Some revelers at entertainment joints lamented the poor state of the lake calling for concerted efforts to remove the weed.
Vincent Omondi, a boat operator at Dunga beach said the weed has adversely affected his operations.
The number of visitors, he said, has dropped significantly due to the prevailing condition of the lake.
"I normally do 10-15 trips per day during the festive season and charge Sh2, 000 per trip. But ever since the water hyacinth resurfaced, I barely do two trips in a day," Omondi said.
He said many people have shied away from boat excursions over fear of being stuck in the weeds.
The situation was the same at Dunga Hill Camp and Yacht club, which operate leisure motorboats.
Fishermen said fish prices have gone up due to the poor harvests recorded at the lake.
Richard Omondi, a fisherman at Dunga Beach said apart from hampering navigation within the lake, the weed has pushed the fish deep into the lake making it difficult for them to catch fish.
The weed, he said, carried dangerous venomous snakes putting the lives of those who venture into the water at risk.
"This weed started spreading about one month ago and we have not seen any deliberate efforts to remove it. Now our livelihood is threatened and we don't know what to do," Omondi said.
He said the Sh80 million water hyacinth harvester, which was procured by the Ministry of Environment in 2017 is unable to clear the weed.
"This machine is small and cannot handle the magnitude of the water hyacinth we have now. The government must explore other alternatives to address this issue before it gets out of control," he said.