Issue of Lake Nakuru's pollution now lands in court
KWS officer looking at a submerged fence at the Lake Nakuru National Park.
Lake Nakuru National Park stands as a timeless gem at the heart of Nakuru City.
Being a rhino sanctuary, adorned with beautiful pink flamingos, its magnificence has stood the test of time showcasing nature's resilience.
At the moment, this ecosystem may be facing its toughest test as Lake Nakuru is facing heavy pollution due to the increased discharge of toxic industrial waste into the Lake basin.
This is according to Simon Mbuthia, the director of Baboon Project of Kenya who filed a petition with the Environment and Land Court, over poor management of toxic industrial waste by the County Government of Nakuru.
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Other respondents in the matter include the Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company Limited, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Attorney General.
According to the petition, some of the chemical waste material released to the lake basin include debris, industrial alcohol, molasses, methane, methylated spirit, among other products.
This revelation comes in the wake of a report by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute on the quality of fish in the lake, terming them poisonous and possible to cause health complications.
Yet this is the same Lake basin that serves the animals in the vast habitat of the Lake Nakuru National Park that is encircled in an expansive land mass of 188 square kilometres.
According to Simon Mbuthia, sound environmental management entails the use of waste reduction technologies and although elimination of waste products entirely may not be feasible, systemic application of modern waste management should be explored and implemented.