Senator Tom Ojienda raises concern over Lake Victoria pollution and rural sanitation in Kisumu

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟔 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Sen (Prof.) Tom Ojienda (Kisumu) has sounded the alarm over rising pollution in Lake Victoria and poor sanitation in rural Kisumu, calling for urgent Senate intervention.

In a Statement to the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources, Sen Ojienda decried the lake’s contamination by untreated sewage, industrial waste, plastic, and agricultural runoff. He warned of the dire environmental and public health risks, urging the Committee to report on pollution levels, health impacts, and actions taken to hold polluters accountable.

Separately, in a request to the Senate Health Committee, the Senator highlighted the critical sanitation gap in rural areas, citing data showing over half of rural Kenyans use unimproved facilities, with 14% still practising open defecation. He called it a public health emergency and asked the Committee to assess infrastructure, community engagement, and the adequacy of budget allocations for 2024/2025.