Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD $5

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Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
Issue No. 16    APR - MAY 2011                                                      KSH 300, USD $5

               Mango the King
               Fruit fly turf wars

                                 www.hortinews.co.ke / www.kenyaflowercouncil.org
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
4   H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   5
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
Flower power

                                                                                                                                            Equity Bank Chief
                                                                                                                                            Executive Dr James
                                                                                                                                            Mwangi and his wife Jane
                                                                                                                                            laying a wreath on the
                                                                                                                                            grave of his late mother,
                                                                                                                                            Grace Wairimu Mwangi in
                                                                                                                                            early July.

                                                                                 KCB sponsors Lake Naivasha                             Can we save Lake
                                                                                 Horticultural Fair 2011                                Naivasha?

                                                                                 Pg         8-12                                        Pg       14-32
                                            Fruit fly turf wars
bi. Inset, A                                                                                                        Mango, king of fruits

                                                                39
 balanced,

                                            Pg
                                                                                                                    Pg   42-51
g your
 poorly
  much                                                                                                                                       Second Regional Co-
 s. It is                                                                             Healthy soils with CropNutS                            operative Value Chain
eds are
                                                                                                                                             Symposium

                                                                                                       58
cy and
 weeds
                                                                                      Pg
                                                                                                                                                                      60
   these
Kenyan
 ed and                                                                                                                                      Pg
educes.

g water
ed per
ed crop            The results of good soilMount  Kenya
                                           management...a      University
                                                          living soil!
                                                                                                                    USAID KHCP market             Domestic Prices – Fruits                                 Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Market Information Office and

                                          indigenous vegetables
                                                                                                                                                                                                           Compiled by KHCP

 n your
                                                                                                                                                  Average Wholesale Price by market (Ksh/Kg)
                                                                                                                                                                        FRUITS                                                                                      KENYA HIGHLAND SEED INTRODUCES PROFESSIONAL
                                                                                                                                                              Apr-     May-              Jul-                                                                                CABBAGE VARIETIES……….

                                                                                                                    information
                                                                                                                                                               11       11     Jun-11     11     Average                                                   AS THE LENGENDRY COPENHAGEN TASTE IS BACK WITH MORE

organic
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                FEATURES
                                                                                                                                                                         Banana

                                          research
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           CABBAGE BLUE JAYS F1
                                                                                                                                                  Nairobi      45.5     47.9      74.9   50.4     54.7
                                                                                                                                                  Mombasa      33.9     24.5      35.3   33.5     31.8

 r times       r   reduce global    warming – this is by organic and conventional                farming. these
                                                                                                                                                  Nakuru       21.4     20.2      19.6   20.7     20.5
                                                                                                                                                  Kisumu       21.4     21.4      21.4   21.4     21.4

                                                                                                                          73-80
                                                                                                                                                  Eldoret      44.7     39.3      29.7   30.0     35.9

                   capturing and storing carbon in your
                                                                                                                                                  Av. W/S

 erefore                                                        benefits will start to be realized on your farm

                                                            54-56
                                                                                                                                                  P            33.4     30.7      36.2   31.2     32.9                                                           Uniform early maturing variety              Glossy attractive head type

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Very early maturing cabbage with the easy to cook glossy looking heads of an average head
                                                                                                                                                                         Mango                                                                                  weight of 3kg.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               The variety brings back the legendry Copenhagen taste and the lost slogan of Bachelors’ variety.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Adapted to both hot and cold regions, it mature in only 55 days in hot areas and 60 days in cold
                                                                                                                                                  Nairobi      25.2     24.9      26.2   31.5     27.0                                                          regions.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               At a spacing of 45cm x 45cm, it gives a high profiting plant population of 50,000 plants/ Ha or

 at you            soils through improved crop residue          within one growing season, depending on the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                20,000 plants /Acre, with potential of 150T/Ha or 60T/Acre. The conventional varieties give
                                                                                                                                                  Mombasa      19.2     12.9      22.2   22.4     19.2

                                                                                                                    Pg
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                plant population of 28,000 plants/Ha or 11,000 plants /Acre at a spacing of 60cm x 60cm.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Excellent transport quality
                                                                                                                                                  Nakuru       24.0     26.8      22.2   20.0     23.3                                                         Sweet taste
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Easy to grow
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               High market demand
                                                                                                                                                  Kisumu       66.7     80.0      79.4   78.0     76.0

                                            Pg
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Vigorous and uniformly growing variety

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Resistances:

 n hold            management. this aids in attainment          level of implementation. No two fields are the
                                                                                                                                                  Eldoret      18.9     24.0      24.0   22.2     22.3
                                                                                                                                                  Av. W/S
                                                                                                                                                  P            30.8     33.7      34.8   34.8     33.5
                                                                                                                                                                        Avocado

 ) more            of a healthy microbial soil population       same, so the system must be adapted to suit
                                                                                                                                                  Nairobi      25.2     29.2      26.1   25.7     26.6
                                                                                                                                                  Mombasa      28.3     15.1      26.4   24.9     23.7
                                                                                                                                                  Nakuru       20.9     19.7      20.0   20.0     20.2
                                                                                                                                                  Kisumu       14.3     10.9      9.0     8.1     10.6

  which            which enables rapid residue digestion        each specific situation, and must be based on a                                   Eldoret
                                                                                                                                                  Av. W/S
                                                                                                                                                  P
                                                                                                                                                               9.4

                                                                                                                                                               19.6
                                                                                                                                                                        9.4

                                                                                                                                                                        16.9
                                                                                                                                                                                  9.4

                                                                                                                                                                                  18.2
                                                                                                                                                                                          9.4

                                                                                                                                                                                         17.6
                                                                                                                                                                                                   9.4

                                                                                                                                                                                                  18.1
                                                                                                                                                                      Passion Fruit

 ments.            and carbon sequestration. For every 1%       specific soil testing and interpretation system.                                  Nairobi
                                                                                                                                                  Mombasa
                                                                                                                                                  Nakuru
                                                                                                                                                               61.4
                                                                                                                                                               62.0
                                                                                                                                                               63.2
                                                                                                                                                                        60.9
                                                                                                                                                                        30.9
                                                                                                                                                                        62.6
                                                                                                                                                                                  63.7
                                                                                                                                                                                  66.4
                                                                                                                                                                                  78.9
                                                                                                                                                                                         64.0
                                                                                                                                                                                         53.7
                                                                                                                                                                                         78.9
                                                                                                                                                                                                  62.5
                                                                                                                                                                                                  53.3
                                                                                                                                                                                                  70.9

                   organic matter built up in your soils, you      Our objective is to offer you a complete
                                                                                                                                                  Kisumu       52.6     53.1      52.6   52.6     52.7
                                                                                                                                                  Eldoret      62.2     80.0    100.0    89.0     82.8
                                                                                                                                                  Av. W/S
                                                                                                                                                  P            60.3     57.5      72.3   67.6     64.4

nmental            are storing approximately an extra 12        range of professional soil and crop nutrient
                                                                                                                                                                        Pineapple
                                                                                                                                                  Nairobi      65.6     88.2      51.0   50.8     63.9
                                                                                                                                                  Mombasa      62.1     44.6      61.6   62.8     57.8

mus and            tons of carbon. Carbon trading is already    management services which will enable you to
                                                                                                                                                  Nakuru       28.1     36.9      28.1   28.1     30.3
                                                                                                                                                  Kisumu      105.3    108.0    117.2    117.2    111.9
                                                                                                                                                  Eldoret      71.1     60.9      60.9   56.6     62.4
                                                                                                                                                  Av. W/S
                                                                                                                                                  P            66.4     67.7      63.8   63.1     65.3
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
Issue No. 15   JAN - MAR 2011        KSH 300, USD $5
                                                                           Editorial
 E ditorial board                      KSH 250, USD $3

 Arim Ogolla
 Catherine Riungu                                        In a series of reports, Horticultural News will attempt
 Jane Ngige                                                    to lay bare what makes Lake Naivasha tick.
 Lusike Wasilwa
 Nelson Maina
 Stephen Mbithi

 managing editor
                                                             The mere mention of the name “Lake Naivasha” stirs up controversy that is probably
 Catherine Riungu
                                                             bigger than the Lake’s size and deeper than its physical depth.
                                                             But though the debate on the Lake’s history; how it is currently utilized as well on who
 technical editor
                                                             owns its riparian reserve, has gone on and on –sometimes inspiring raw, unfettered
 Gatu Mbaria
                                                             emotions- we should not lose sight of its economic significance; that’s unparalleled
                                                             anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
 Editorial coordinator
 Geoffrey Kamadi
                                                              In a series of reports, Horticultural News (HN) attempts to lay bare what makes the Lake
                                                             tick. We start off by taking a short tour down the memory lane to show how a carefree
 M arketing
                                                             crowd of white settlers ensured the Lake is part of the so-called ‘happy valley’. Later, we
 Nelson Maina
                                                             take a detour to talk about the more nagging issues as seen by researchers, politicians,
                                                             philanthropists, institutions, NGOs, local and international media as well as fire-spitting,
 contributors
                                                             wide-eyed environmental activists (the lot who denounce everybody and everything).
 David Njagi
                                                             We have also skimmed through the various initiatives put in place to save this veritable
 Joseph Mukubwa
                                                             resource.
 Kariuki Ngunjiri
 Macharia Mwangi
                                                             And we are not stopping here. In subsequent editions, HN promises to zero in on the
 Michael Ouma
                                                             issues, by asking the hard questions; can the Lake be saved? Has it been in anybody’s
 Rachuonyo Duncan
                                                             interest to save it? What is there to show –in a tangible, unforgetteble way- for all
                                                             the tens of millions of shillings spent on projects meant to keep the Lake supplying
 P hotography
                                                             environmental services into undetermined future? If the flower industry were to close
 Allan Muturi
                                                             today, would the Lake still be saved? And just what does ‘saving’ Lake Naivasha entail?
                                                             Why, for crying out loud, aren’t we implementing the Lake Naivasha Management Plan?
 D esign and L ayout
                                                             And so on and so forth.
 Samuel Irungu

                                                             Equally as important, I invite you to take a tour of HN’s inside pages for some ‘juicy’
                                                             stories on why the Mango is the king of fruits. You will find fascinating insights on how
                                                             you can grow fleshy, sweet and real juicy mangoes. Our Public Gallery section reveals
                                                             how research established that a local mango variety, Ngowe, is superior to Totapuri, the
 Horticultural News
                                                             world-renowned, high-quality variety grown in India. But Kenya has failed to capitalize
 is published six times a year
                                                             on this clear advantage.
 by Karuri Ventures Ltd and
 circulated to personnel in the
                                                             We did not set out to make the magazine a depressing read, but we could not help
 horticultural industry, foreign
                                                             but publish an exclusive exposé detailing how infighting among key agencies at the
 missions and Kenya embassies
                                                             Agriculture Ministry over the control of a Ksh10 million fruit-fly kitty, has frustrated
 abroad, extension officers in the
                                                             Kenya’s efforts to control the pest. Consequently, fruit farmers continue to lose billions
 Ministry of Agriculture, research
                                                             –both in real terms and lost export opportunities. For instance, the country has lost
 officers and suppliers of
                                                             three years of avocado production yet researchers at the International Centre for Insect
 agricultural inputs and services.
                                                             Physiology and Ecology have tested and proved effective an impressive range of control
                                                             options that could be of ultimate importance to fruit farmers.

                                                          Communications
                                                           Indigenous vegetables are soon leaving the list of “neglected crops” in Kenya. This is after
Karuri Ventures Ltd                                        a Mount Kenya-led multi-million research joined other similar initiatives meant to ensure
                                                             that farmers in the country get cleaner and reliable supply of seed to produce larger
Nature Hse 3rd Fl (513) Tom Mboya St
P O Box 1066 - 00518 Nairobi                                                           Brochures
                                                             quantities of the vegetables for home consumption and the market.
Tel: 020 35566911 / 254-722 403103
                                                             Welcome….                         Magazines
horticulturalnews@gmail.com
news@hortinews.co.ke                                                                                   Subscriptions
www:hortinews.co.ke
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

            A bigger, better Naivasha Fair
            This year’s Lake Naivasha Horti Fair is expected to attract more exhibitors and visitors

M
                                                                                                                                                         PHOTO| ALLAN MUTURI

                ore children
                from less
                fortunate

backgrounds will have
a chance to spend
more time in school
while more women can
stand a better chance
at having their lives
improved, thanks to
a bigger, more robust
Lake Naivasha Horti Fair.
The Fair is expected to
attract more visitors
and exhibitors than
previous years due to
sponsorship by KCB. All
the proceeds generated                     KCB Company secretary Kiprop Malakwen (L) presenting a cheque to Roddy Benjamin (R) the Oserian’s roses
by the Fair will go to                     manager,and chair of Lake Naivasha Fair in late August. KFC’s chief executive, Jane Ngige looks on.
charitable courses as
Ruth Vaughan, the                         sector as far as environment,                    Have the objectives of the               project in conjunction with Rotary.
production manager at                     sustainability, water efficiency,            Fair been been achieved?
                                          social and ethical responsibility                 The objectives of LNHF are to               How much did the fair raise
Nini Ltd, who is also the
                                          and awareness are concerned.                 improve the lives of women and               last year?
Fair’s media liaison told
                                          We would like this to extend to              children in Kenya, to alleviate poverty         The LNHF raised about Ksh7
Horticultural News.
                                          other sectors.                               by facilitating more accessible              million last year but at the end of
   What is the objective of LNHF                                                       education, to pinpoint and help              the day we raised at least Ksh10
in 2011?                                    Do       you      expectmore               completely helpless people, and to           million due to partnership fund
   The objectives of NHFAIR               exhibitors in 2011?                          offer relief to victims of local disaster.   matching.
organizers are to improve. We               Yes, 2011 will be bigger than              The objectives of LNHF have indeed
hope to have a bigger Fair with           2010, with more exhibitors, and              been achieved and even surpassed.               How were the funds allocated
more exhibitors, more visitors,           more visitors. We expect that                It is all about partnership and              to the charities?
and more money raised                     100 per cent of the profits will             education,        rainwater harvesting         Funds are allocated on a
for charity.     The objective            go to charity because we have                and storage for schools has                  performance and needs basis.
is growth, awareness and                  zero administration costs, and               increased the time that students
sustainability.                           complete transparency. Very                  spend in school. All waste water is            Are the organizers happy
                                          few charitable organizations                 religiously collected and used to            with the support this far?
    How will the 2011 Fair be             can boast of this. Our exhibitors            grow trees that provide shade, wind          Can you cite an example
different from last year’s Fair?          are very proud to see and know               shelter, and firewood for cooking hot        of an exhibitor who has
    In 2011, we hope that with KCB        where the money goes, and to                 school meals, reducing soil erosion,         sent the fair a word of
‘s sponsorship we will reach even         know that they are contributing              educating children on sustainability         compliment?
more members of the public.               to improvement, education                    by having them participate in a                Every exhibitor has sent a fair
Horticulture is one of Kenya’s            and growth in Kenya. This is                 life visual project. The Safe House          word of compliment for the good
most important income sources.            due to an excellent partnership              for abused women and children                work the Fair does.
We would like Kenyans to know             with KCB bank, and good                      is a very successful and innovative
more about horticulture, to               fund management. The Fair                    partnership. LNHF puts the money               What more needs to be done
understand more and support               has always believed in the                   where it’s needed to facilitate good         for the course?
more. There has been a very               importance of giving back to                 community spirit. In 2011 LNHF is              We intend to make the LNHF to
positive trend in the horticultural       the society.                                 embarking on the Adopt a Village             be known and recognized more

        8     H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   9
Mango the King Fruit fly turf wars - KSH 300, USD
Chrysal Africa now offers —                 Cut flower care
 Pre-treatment
     When Chrysal cut flower foodChrysal
                                      was introduced inRVB
                                                         the market                                    by Chrysal is to preserve and condition cut flowers, houseplants
 in 1949, it caused a revolution in the floral industry, being the                                     and foliage.
 Clear         Intensive
 first professional                   1ml/L
                    cut flower food ever invented. The use of Chrysal                                     As a result, their lives lengthen and there is a significant reduc-
   flower food extends the lifespan of cut flowers enormously. In                                      tion of waste within the total floral chain.
   some cases the lifespan even doubles.                                                                  The use of our products creates an added value for the entire
 General
      After the introduction of the cut flower food, Chrysal was                                       horticultural chain: from grower to retailer to consumer.
   • Post-harvest
   often  the first to comeproduct    for and
                             up with new  Roses,
                                               innovative products for                                    Using Chrysal in all steps of the floral chain guarantees a
   the Chrysanthemum            and a wide
        floral industry, like post-harvest      range
                                            products  forof
                                                          growers and                                  sustainable approach and consumer satisfaction with every pur-
   the ‘Professional’
        summer flowers.range with dosing systems  for use in the flower                                chase of a horticultural product. This is the essence of our pay-off:
   trade. This innovative approach is still our main driving force.                                    “The Beauty of Chrysal’.
   • Does not contain Aluminium Sulphate,
      The primary function of the premium care products supplied
     therefore less risk of leaf scorching and leaf
     drop - enabling a longer storage period in the
                                                  
     solution.                                    
                                                                                       Test Results
                                                  
   Botrytis: Enemy number 1 of Rose, Gerbera and Lisianthus
   • Available in 10 L and 100 L sizes.
                                                           
                                                           
                                                           The  following graph shows the effect of Chrysal RVB Clear Intensive
                                                                                                        
                                                                                                       on the vase life of Roses
                                                                                                                                 and other flowers compared to water alone.

 Effects
  Fungi infection by Botrytis is one              by keeping the relative humidity (rv) “Experience
                                                                         
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                       shows that one grower’s
of the main post harvest problems as low as possible (
Chrysal Africa now offers —
Pre-treatment Chrysal RVB
Clear Intensive 1ml/L
General
• Post-harvest product for Roses,
  Chrysanthemum and a wide range of
  summer flowers.
• Does not contain Aluminium Sulphate,
  therefore less risk of leaf scorching and leaf
  drop - enabling a longer storage period in the
                                               
  solution.                                    

• Available in 10 L and 100 L sizes.
                                                                       Test Results
                                               
                                                        
                                                        The  following graph shows the effect of Chrysal RVB Clear Intensive
                                                                                   
                                                                                  on the vase life of Roses
                                                                                                            and other flowers compared to water alone.

Effects                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

• Stimulates water uptake, thus preventing                                                           

  “bent-neck” in Roses.                                                                                  
                                                                                
• Prolongs vase life of flowers.
                                                              

                                                                                                         
• Lowers the pH of the water.                                                   
                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                
• Maintains the quality of flowers.                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                
• Dissolves clearly and without odour in water.                                 
                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                         

                                                                                

Applications
                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                        
• Suitable for all types of water. For soft                              
                                                                                               
                                                                                    
                                                                                       
  water we recommend RVB Clear Soft Water
  Intensive.                                          The following table shows test results on various Kenyan Rose
                                                     
                                            
• Can be dosed automatically.                        
                                                      cultivars. Chrysal RVB Clear Intensive is compared to the current
                                            
                                                     
• For use by growers and flower importers.            treatment used by the grower, mostly‘homebrews’.
                                            
                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                          
Savings                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                       
• Reduces flower wastage.                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                          
• Prolonged distribution and sales period                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                         
  possible.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                       
• Reduces water consumption and labour
                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                              
  costs, as the solution can be re-used.
                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                   

                          Contact us now locally, in Kenya. We’ll give you the support you need.
  Premises No. 7, Sunflag Compound, Off Mombasa Road
                                                          & JKIA Resort Slip Road, P.O. Box 78219 00507 Nairobi, Kenya.
                                                     www.chrysal.com
                                                                                  H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1               11
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

            KCB eyes business as it
         raises sponsorship for Expo
             Banking giant says it has products along the entire horticulture value chain

                                                                                         By Michael Ouma                         characterized by perishable

                                                                                           E
                                                                                                                                 commodities         –   particularly
                                                                                                     as Africa’s largest bank    flowers and vegetables – the
                                                                                                     in terms of assets, is      bank aims to finance the entire
                                                                                                     sustaing its sponorship     supply chain,’’ she said.
                                                                                                     of Ksh4 million for the        “The weather in Kenya is ideal
                                                                                         2010 Naivasha Horticultural Fair.       for flower growing throughout
                                                                                            Through the Fair, the bank aims      the year. Our weather risk is
                                                                                         to widen its footprint within the       thereby mitigated by targeting
                                                                                         fresh produce sector even as it         the greenhouse production
                                                                                         continues its growth momentum           more than open-shed grown
                                                                                         across the East African region.         floriculture unless one has a
                                                                                            In     an        interview with      borehole,” said Mrs Kimweli,
                                                                                         Horticultural News, Mrs Peninah         adding that most of the country’s
                                                                                         Kimweli, KCB’s head of trade            flower growing is technology-
                                                                                         finance unit, said: “We have            based which also mitigates
                                                                                         a product along the entire              weather-related risks.
                                                                                         horticulture value chain and               The only challenge, she said,
                                                                                         see opportunities for growth as         was price volatility including
                                                                                         we position KCB to become the           transfer pricing service offered to
                                                                                         bank of choice for the high-value       exporters.
                                                                                         sector.”                                   “Price volatility and fluctuation
                                                                                            KCB currently provides various       has been our major problem
                                                                                         financing solutions and services        since banks rely on financials to
                                                                                         to exporters, greenhouse and            appraise the borrowing capability
                                                                                         input suppliers - infrastructure        of the customer. This can only be
                                                                                         development          loans,    dollar   mitigated through negotiated
                                                                                         overdrafts and working capital.         contract pricing offered to growers
                                                                                         Others are retail products              by exporters,” stated Mrs Kimweli.
                                                                                         including ATM and internet                 She added that the bank is
                                                                                         banking services.                       positioning itself to offer a whole
                                                                                            The horticulture industry            range of products and services
                                                                                         comprises both small and                to vegetable and horticultural
                                                                                         medium enterprises (SMEs)               exporters.
                                                                                         and mid-corporates including               The Naivasha Horticultural
                                                                                         transporters, input suppliers - like    Fair, also called Naivasha Horti
                                                                                         greenhouse suppliers, fertilizers,      Fair, was started in 2002 to bring
                                                                                         planting materials and carton           together exhibitors and visitors
                                                                                         manufacturers.                          in a spacious and pleasant
                                                                                            Although horticulture is a           environment. It is run by a group
                                                                                         volatile high-value industry            of volunteers with the proceeds
                                                                                         that     is occasionally affected       going to finance activities and
                                                                                         by the changes in weather, the          initiatives of local and national
                                                                                         bank nevertheless, sees a huge          charities particularly those caring
                                                                                         potential in supporting the             for women and children. This
                                                                                         sector.                                 year’s expo will open its doors
                                                                                            ‘’Although we are aware of the       from 16 to 17 September at the
Penninah Kimweli KCB’s head of finance during the interview                              fact that it is a high-risk sector      Naivasha Sports Club.

      12    H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
Partnering for Success
             Venue:           Naivasha Sports Club
             Admission:       Adults Ksh 300
                              Children Under 16 - Ksh 100
             Date:            16th and 17th September 2011

                     Bar, Restaurants, Childrens’ Play Area
                          (all profits to local charities)

Exhibitors can display their products and services at the available stands
by calling 0726 629666 or send an email to nhfair@kenyaweb.com

                                      H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   13
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

                     Is there a collective will
                     to save Lake Naivasha?
            Lake Naivasha’s interesting history and the sheer size of the economy it supports,
            as well as the intense competition it attracts, not only underscores its uniqueness
                      but has somehow made it difficult for all to act as one to save it

By Gatu Mbaria                            to have attracted hordes of                     over 1,800 metres above the sea       However, the Lake’s ecosystem

  T
                                          white farmers, ranchers, land                   level. It can be considered an ‘on-   supports         an     impressive
            here is probably no           speculators and happy-go-lucky                  and-off’ water body that is said to   diversity of wildlife with some
            other resource in             characters – with the latter                    have once dried up completely in      ornithologists (scientists who
            Kenya with as rich            thronging its shores to establish               the 20th century giving farmers       studiy birds) recording as many
            and controversial a           the Happy Valley fraternity that                and land speculators some             as 400 species of birds. On their
history as Lake Naivasha. Its very        lived large, merrily and carefree.              unprecedented opportunity to          part, such mammals as gnus,
name, Nai’posha – drawn from                 Living with this crowd were                  farm or own real estate on its bed.   zebra, hippos as well as lesser and
the Maa language (spoken by the           apparently serious land owners                  But this was before its waters rose   greater reptiles grace and graze
Maasai) denoting “rough waters”           who established the Lake                        again to send some unforgettable      the ecosystem, inhabiting such
– is symbolic of the controversy,         Naivasha       Riparian      Owners             message to the occupiers as it        protected areas as Hells Gate
tension as well as intermittent           Association in 1929 and who                     submerged farmlands, drowned          National Reserve and private
conflict the lake has attracted           are said to have approached the                 animals, crops and everything         game ranches.
over time.                                colonial government to give them                else.                                    Today, the lake distinguishes
   The early British settlers used        the responsibility of managing                     With a size somewhere              itself from the other Rift Valley
it as a landing site for amphibian        the lake in 1933. Though this is                between 139 square kilometres         lakes in more ways than one.
planes (or flying boats) with the         subject to debate, it is said the               and 150 square kilometres             Besides being the only fresh
Imperial Airways making it part of        colonial government granted                     (depending on who you ask), Lake      water lake without a discernible
a mail route from Southampton,            them their wish in a legal order                Naivasha is neither as large as       outlet, it is also a unique water
UK to South Africa. Years since           that remains in force to date.                  Lake Victoria nor as impressively     body in the sense that it has a
the advent of colonial rule,                 The lake sits prominently on the             deep as Lake Tanganyika - its         receding shoreline that creates
Naivasha’s fresh waters appear            floor of the Great Rift Valley at well          depth ranges from 6 to 30 metres.     confusion and controversy over

       14    H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   15
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

Sleeping on the job? Not really, but with the invasion of the water hyacinth, scenes like these are common.

its exact size and the limits of its       export-oriented ventures existing               than its inflow can sustain while, at   environmental agencies.
riparian reserve. There are those          side-by-side with an intensive                  the same time, making its waters           The big farmers have also raised
who say its boundaries, which              semi-subsistence economy that                   unfit for most other domestic uses      the counter-claim that those who
were marked by the colonial                supports tens of thousands of                   through chemical pollution.             have been making the accusations
administration in the early 1900s,         farmers, pastoralists, fisher folks,               On its part, the large-scale         do so while ignoring the damage
should be respected. But others            jua kali artisans, teachers, students           farming fraternity has for long         wrought on the lake’s ecosystem
say such delineations have been            and idle people - with everyone                 protested that the alleged              by the rot, garbage and sewage
overtaken by events and should             making an ecological footprint on               ‘ecological evils’ it is accused of     as well as other urban-generated
therefore be discarded.                    the basin. The hopes, wishes, plans             committing are not based on any         pollution from Naivasha town,
   But Lake Naivasha’s uniqueness          and prospects of large and small                hard evidence. Some within this         Karagita slums and other local
has also to do with the fact that          businesspeople, flower farmers                  group have gone to the extent of        centres of human settlement.
it is the only Lake in the country         as well as most of the relevant                 pointing out that the claims made       They also decry the ongoing
that supports such a large, diverse        households are pegged on the                    by local and international activists,   damage caused by thousands
and high-earning economy with              finite resource pool afforded by                politicians as well as some of the      of smallholder farmers who are
an annual turnover that has no             the lake and its basin.                         other users of the lake’s waters        lined up along the lake’s main
parallels in sub-Saharan Africa.              As a result, some intense                    were informed by malice and             tributary, River Malewa, as well as
Because of this, the Lake Naivasha         competition has emerged that                    jealousy.                               Gilgil River and who neither have
basin has attracted investors              at times resulted in intermittent,                 Operating under the auspices of      own certifying bodies nor are their
from all corners of the globe              albeit muted, conflict over who is              both the Lake Naivasha Growers          activities adequately regulated
with European businesspeople               to use what resources particularly              Group and the Lake Naivasha             by statutory bodies set up by the
dominating the scene. Attracted            the lake’s waters, rivers flowing               Riparian Owners Association, this       central government. And most
too have been hordes of job                into the lake, outlying forests and             group has constantly stated that        importantly, they have asked
hunters, big and petty traders             grasslands, farmlands within the                most, if not all, of its members        relevant authorities to bring to a
from all corners of Kenya. The             basin as well as fish and whatever              apply sustainable production            halt the diversion of water from
huge and growing population has            other life forms are supported by               practices. They say how they            Malewa River into Nakuru.
created a cosmopolitan society             the water. This competition pits                produce is, in any case, scrutinized       And so, for years, the heated
that, depending on different               large-scale and purely export-                  by certifying bodies set up either      exchange had gone on and on with
perspectives, has created both             oriented agribusinesses against                 on the urgings of the main market       relevant governmental agencies
positive and negative effects              local smallholder farmers, fisher               – European Union - or those that        unable to resolve the issues.
played out in Naivasha town and            folks, pastoralists and residents               they themselves have set up under       Matters have not been helped by
outlying settlements.                      of local towns and centres. The                 membership codes (for instance,         the fact that well heeled, ‘hit-and-
   Within the lake’s basin are large       latter believe the former could be              the Kenya Flower Council Code           run’ activists and local politicians
and smallholder farms; purely              drawing from the lake much more                 of Practice), as well as by national    have taken sides, making one

        16    H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

sensational claim after another.      reflective of the complicated            There are those who say that               how much water or fish or wood or
On the other hand, attempts to        issues nor contextualized enough      attempting to save the lake might             grassland we will need to use and
brush off serious happenings (like    to embrace the ‘hard’ reality         eventually prove a futile thing               preserve for those who will come
deaths of fish) within and around     facing the entire ecosystem.          when it is taken into account that            after us. Now, this is tricky because
the lake through unbelievable         For one, it is not clear whether      most of those drawing water and               such other natural processes
explanations, remains curious.        there is a collective will to save    other resources from the basin                as unprecedented evaporation
In addition, a plan prepared to       the lake because even though          have not come forward to say that             rates as well as massive siltation
harmonize resource use and            many initiatives have been            they are willing and ready to cut on          that are triggered by human
regulate all the actors        and    undertaken, hardly are most           or curtail whatever activities they           activities have had a big toll on
activities around the lake, cannot    of those overdrawing from its         have been involved in to preserve             the same resource. The question
even be implemented.                  resources or those who commit         it into the undetermined future.              of how much we need to use and
   The media has not been             ‘environmental crimes’ against it     Instead, the universally-accepted,            preserve becomes very pertinent
of any assistance either.        At   deterred. Of course, not everyone     but highly elusive, concept of                when one considers that not every
best,     the Fourth Estate has       using the lake and its basin can be   “sustainable utilization” has been            activity within the basin is geared
typically highlighted sensational     accused of using it unsustainably     embraced to ‘allow’ for the near-             towards meeting such higher
issues or covered controversial       or causing damage. A number of        impossible scenario of using as               needs as generating generous
developments        without      as   big and small flower farms have       much of the basin’s resources                 profits for agribusinesses. Some of
much as providing reasonable          realized that the well-being of       today while not compromising                  the activities there are principally
backgrounds that would have           their businesses is pegged on the     its ability to meet water needs of            meant to ensure the survival of
enabled Kenyans to grasp and          lake’s well-being. But other farms    generations of the unborn. The                those involved.
appreciate underlying issues.         are said to have dug trenches that    obvious question that arises here                 Should we then go ahead to ask
Consequently, mainstream media        go right into the deeper sections     is how far those currently using              smallholder farmers to stop over-
can hardly be relied upon to          of the lake while the unexplained     the lake and its basin consider, as           using water from Malewa River
inform decisions, policies or other   deaths of fish and birds cannot be    important, the need to preserve               or to embrace better irrigation
corrective activities that could      wished away. Fish and birds are       its resources for the benefit of              techniques when it is so clear
resolve the nagging issues.           not known to commit suicide –         future generations.                           that they cannot afford, say, a drip
   Indeed, most of the claims         they do not fall dead without an         A counter question might be                irrigation kit? And what should we
and counterclaims are neither         apparent cause.                       whether we are able to determine              do when hundreds of thousands

                   
                        
                         
                       

         
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                                                                             H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   17
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

of Kenyans decide to ‘invade”             of the basin’s resources?
the basin in search of the much-             Naivasha Municipal Council
elusive better life?                      is another body that needs to
   It is our considered opinion           put its act together so that the
that some of the concerns raised          lake can have a better chance
about the destruction of the lake’s       of surviving for the sake of our
ecosystem might be academic               children’s children. Horticultural
especially when subjected to              News is privy to reports that the
the ‘mirror’ of societal realities in     council might have rehabilitated
Kenya.                                    a sewer facility that had remained
   But again, should everyone             unattended for long years. We
give up? Public bodies charged            are also aware that the Rift Valley
with the responsibility of ensuring       Water Services Board pledged to
that we all use natural resources         disburse Ksh800 million to enable
sustainably ought to come to              the council construct a bigger
the lake’s rescue. But public             sewage system that would cover
bodies have failed Kenyans.               every corner of Naivasha town.                    The lake must be used in sustainable manner.
These include NEMA. Though it                These are commendable
draws its mandate and power               developments. But the question               the role of managing the Lake?
from the 1999 Environmental               lingers: has the council done
Management and Coordination               enough to ensure that Lake
Act, NEMA has not come out                Naivasha survives into eternity?
strongly     against      apparent        Why, for instance, does the council
degradation of Lake Naivasha              fail to come up with by-laws that
Basin. Horticultural News poses           would regulate the use of the
the question: when will NEMA              lake’s waters? As a body given
and the Central Government stop,          legal mandate over the entire
once and for all, this haemorrhage        area, should the council assume

                 Elgon Kenya launches Trebon
             A new multipurpose insecticide to                   user, low impact on environment, short           had excellent effect especially on adult
          counter pests affecting vegetables,                    pre-harvest intervals and low risk on            flies and nymphs.
          cereals, fruits and flowers has been                   pest resurgence.                                    Elgon Kenya deals in agricultural
          introduced in the market after a three-                   It is a product of Japanese                   chemicals and fertilizers, seeds, irrigation
          year trial.                                            multinational, Mitsui Chemicals Agro             system and farm equipments. Company
             Distributed by agro chemical firm,                  Corporation. Kenya representative, Mr.           also manufacture polythene sheeting,
          Elgon Kenya, Trebon, is known to                       Dickson Mureithi, said results indicated         printed/plain bags, plastic containers,
          combat a wide range of insects among                   that the insecticide effectively controlled      corrugated cartons, labels, strapping
          them whiteflies, aphids, leaf miners,                  whiteflies at the rate of 400-500 ml/ha.         rolls among others.
          hoppers, moths, common cutworms                           Mr. Mureithi said that 72 hours                  Mitsui Chemicals manager for Europe,
          and caterpillars.                                      after application, the efficacy against          Middle East and Africa International
             Trials on the efficacy of the insecticide           whiteflies was excellent. On aphids, the         Business Department sales and
          were carried out in three regions in the               rate of infestation dropped drastically          Marketing Division Mr. Bunkichi
          country on different plants. The trials                until all insects were killed. Mr. Jack          Tsunekawa said the product has
          which started in 2008 were carried out                 Apollo Juma a researcher said Trebon             maintained its status as a multipurpose
          in Kericho on roses, Timau (carnations)                has proved very safe to users and its            insecticide with high efficacy. He said
          and Naivasha (vegetables).                             effects on beneficial insects such as lady       Trebonshowsinsecticidalactivityagainst
             According to researchers who carried                birds are insignificant.                         some organophosphate resistant and
          out the trials, Trebon was found to                       Ms. Mary Opisa, a representative              carbamate resistant insect pests. “It
          have a knockdown effect on hoppers,                    of Finlay Flowers where trials were              does not only kill insects but also shows
          cutworms and whiteflies. The product                   conducted on roses, said that the                specific activities like repellency activity
          has low mammalian toxicity, rapid                      insecticide was tried on whiteflies on all       inhibition against laying of eggs,” added
          knockdown activity, no irritation to the               stages of growth. She pointed out that it        Mr. Tsunekawa.

        18     H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
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                     H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   19
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

          Rich ecosystem exploited with
              no regard for tomorrow
                     Scholar says the lake’s catchment could be one of Kenya’s most
              valuable ecosystems, yet if unplanned settlements, burgeoning population,
             unsustainable water abstraction as well as inflow of nutrients and pollutants are
                                not checked, the lake’s future is in doubt

                                                                                                                                  accounts for 90 per cent of the
                                                                                                                                  total catch overtaking the popular
                                                                                                                                  Tilapia which was the most
                                                                                                                                  dominant species in the early
                                                                                                                                  1980s.
                                                                                                                                     The report by Mr Mbogo
                                                                                                                                  says if the pesticides used in the
                                                                                                                                  horticultural farms around the lake
                                                                                                                                  find their way into the lake, they
                                                                                                                                  will pollute it.
                                                                                                                                     “About 70 per cent of nutrients
                                                                                                                                  entering the lake are brought in
                                                                                                                                  through River Malewa and Gilgil,”
                                                                                                                                  says Mr Mbogo.
                                                                                                                                     These come from urban
                                                                                                                                  runoff, fertilizers and pesticides
                                                                                                                                  application in the farms, livestock
                                                                                                                                  watering in the lake and increased
                                                                                                                                  use of pit latrines by the farm
                                                                                                                                  workers.
                        The lake has also been a victim of the water hyacinth invasion                                               According to Mr Mbogo, the
                                                                                                                                  lake’s hydrological regime is
                                                                                                                                  very dynamic and it’s feared
By MACHARIA MWANGI                         structures and increasing human                 contributes much of the rest of the    that in a normal year, more

  I
                                           population in Naivasha.                         water.                                 water goes out of the lake that
       t is a lake of international             Effluent from the sewerage                    “The higher altitude catchments     it comes in.
       repute that has attracted           system is said to be finding its                drained by the two rivers, receive        “Water permits are issued
       experts       and      local        way into the lake, posing a health              over 1,100 mm of rainfall annually     without the consideration of the
       stakeholders     competing          hazard.                                         which enables them to flow             lake’s capacity to sustain increased
to find a long lasting solution to            Some      of     the    problems             throughout.”                           demands. In particular, there is a
sustain it.                                often highlighted include the                      The lake has made the area a        proliferation of the uptake points
   Prof Wangari Mathai, the                degradation of the riparian                     focal point for both international     and boreholes around the lake and
founder of the Green Belt                  land, unsustainable land use,                   and local investors in the             in urban centres.”
Movement, had at one time                  poor planning, overgrazing, and                 horticulture industry. Indeed,            Mr Mbogo says it is not yet
expressed concern over the                 unplanned settlement.                           Naivasha is the leading flower         known how much water is
spread of the water hyacinth,                 According to a report by Mbogo               growing region in the country.         abstracted from the lake and
saying there was a need to                 Kamau, the lake’s monitoring                       More than 50 flower farms           aquifer as the existing data cannot
remove the weed from the lake.             officer, Lake Naivasha’s catchment              operate here employing close to        be relied upon.
   “There are two ways of                  covers about 3,267 km2 - extending              50,000 people. The industry has           To save the lake, the expert
removing the weed from the lake;           to the Aberdares range and                      largely contributed to the influx of   says the riparian zone should be
either physically or biologically.”        Kinangop plateau to the north,                  job seekers from the rural areas.      maintained in its natural state.
   However, she said the use of            Mau Escarpment to the west and                     “Fishing       has      however     Only pump houses are allowed
beetles to fight the weed had              the Eburru hills to the northeast.              experienced a major decline            but grazing may be permitted on
not been successful as witnessed              Mr Mbogo said River Malewa                   culminating in the periodic closing    this land.
in the Nairobi dam and Lake                drains about 1,730 km2 and brings               off of the fishing grounds to boost
Victoria. Prof Maathai blamed              into the lake about 90 per cent                 restocking,” added Mr Mbogo.
the lake’s pollution on unplanned          of the total inflow. River Gilgil                  Currently,     Common       Carp

        20    H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
120SC

                GiveÊcaterpillars,ÊthripsÊandÊleafÊminersÊaÊfinalÊsend-off.

               Radiant¨Ê120SCÊisÊanÊinnovativeÊmoleculeÊwithÊfastÊknockdownÊandÊbroadÊspectrumÊcontrolÊof
               damagingÊinsectsÊsuchÊasÊcaterpillars,ÊthripsÊandÊleafÊminers

               Radiant¨Ê120SCÊcontainsÊaÊnewÊactiveÊingredientÊSpinetoramÊinÊtheÊSpinosynÊchemicalÊgroupÊ
               offeringÊanÊadditionalÊtoolÊforÊresistanceÊmanagement.

               Radiant¨Ê120SCÊhasÊshortÊfourÊhourÊre-entryÊintervalÊandÊshortÊ3ÊdayÊPreÊHarvestÊInterval

               MaintainsÊpopulationsÊofÊmostÊbeneficialÊinsectsÊandÊhasÊlowÊriskÊtoÊadultÊbeesÊonceÊsprayÊ
               depositÊhasÊdried

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PO Box 856 - 00606, Nairobi, Kenya • Tel: +254-20-367-3672/3 • Fax: +254-20367-3232/1             P.O Box 49470 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya • Tel: +254 20 2073912 • Cell: +254-722-209-474
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                                                                                        H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1         21
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

           Lake study that never was!
‘When I said flower growers are not the only users,I did not say that they don’t cause problems’

                                                                                       Photos| allan Muturi

                                                                                                              In an exclusive interview with
                                                                                                              Geoffrey Kamadi, renowned
                                                                                                              ecologist Dr David Harper,
                                                                                                              denies reports in sections of
                                                                                                              Kenyan media that he had
                                                                                                              conducted a study showing
                                                                                                              the flower industry was not to
                                                                                                              blame over Lake Naivasha’s
                                                                                                              woes. Harper, who teaches
                                                                                                              at the Biology Department
                                                                                                              in University of Leicester, UK,
                                                                                                              has been studying lakes in the
                                                                                                              Rift Valley for nearly three de-
                                                                                                              cades.

                                                                                                                  What would you say was the basis for the
                                                                                                              story?
                                                                                                                 We got some money from a European
                                                                                                              supermarket to do a feasibility study on how to
                                                                                                              restore (Lake) Naivasha because the lake is in a
                                                                                                              very bad state. They gave the money because
                                                                                                              they buy fair trade roses and believe if they
                                                                                                              put some money back into restoring (Lake)
                                                                                                              Naivasha, this would make their supply of roses
                                                                                                              more sustainable.
                                                                                                                    I am always careful to say that flower
                                                                                                              growers are not the only ones degrading Lake
                                                                                                              Naivasha because they take one-third of the
                                                                                                              water. Another third is used by the geothermal
                                                                                                              station and then a lot of water is abstracted
                                                                                                              from one of the rivers to supply drinking water
                                                                                                              to Nakuru. These are the three biggest users
                                                                                                              but there are also many smallholders. So, when
                                                                                                              I said flower growers are not the only users
                                                                                                              of the lake, I did not say that they don’t cause
                                                                                                              problems. I was effectively saying that there is
                                                                                                              more than one culprit. We have been studying
                                                                                                              the ecology of the lake over the last 25 years.

                                                                                                                 From your long years of research, what
                                                                                                              would you say ails the lake?
                                                                                                                 You could say the ecology of the lake has
                                                                                                              been changing for two main reasons. One
                                                                                                              is that there are too many people using the
                                                                                                              water; there is overfishing, damage of the
                                                                                                              shoreline and the papyrus fringe. Today, there
                                                                                                              are too many people there who have come to
                                                                                                              find work in the flower industry.
                                                                                                                   Secondly, the lake is full of ‘foreigners’ in

     22   H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
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                                                          H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   23
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

Dr Harper:’There are too many people using the water.’

that it has a lot of alien plant and        into the water to push the boat out.            them. For instance, one team was                If the flower industry were not using
animal species, mostly from South           But they are now gone because the               entirely funded by the UK bank,             the lake’s waters, Lake Naivasha would
and North America. Most of them             crayfish has eaten all of them. There’s         HSBC in 2007 while others were              still be facing most of the problems. If
arrived by accident, while some             also the carp which came from Asia              funded by Shell.                            there were no flower industry, there
were deliberately introduced                unexpectedly. These are what I call                                                         would still be all the alien species.
there. The most obvious is the              accidental arrivals.                                Is it possible to save L.               There would still be the abstractions
water hyacinth which is a much                                                              Naivasha?                                   from the geothermal power station,
bigger problem in Lake Victoria                You have been involved in a                      It is possible to save Lake Naivasha.   and there would still be the large
because the lake is in a hotter             project called Lakes, Wetlands                  But the most important thing is             number of small holdings in its upper
region. At night, temperatures              and People of East Africa’s Rift                to ensure that the people who are           catchment. So, the problem would
may range from 200C-250C in Lake            Valley in which visitors from                   involved in the lake – people of all        largely be there. What is not so certain
Victoria compared with only 100C            abroad pay £850 to come for a                   levels of education and economic            is what would happen to all the land
in Lake Naivasha.                           working holiday to help restore                 status – are in agreement on why            around the lake’s edge…what kind of
        The conspicuous absence             L. Naivasha. How successful has                 there is a need to save it. From the        activity would go on.
of water lilies is due to the fact          it been so far?                                 mayor of Naivasha town to the                   What makes Naivasha different
that they have all been eaten by                Through the project, we have                ordinary fisherman, all need to have        from Lake(s) Victoria or Baringo -
crayfish which was deliberately             found out that the lake is being                a kind of an agreement. They all need       which are the other fresh water lakes
introduced into the lake in the             degraded by two different things.               to think in the same way.                   - is that about 100 years ago, the
1970s by the Fisheries Department.          One is the whole cocktail of                        Until this year, you could say there    colonial government demarcated
The thinking was that if you had            alien species and the other is the              was no real agreement between               the land around Lake Naivasha. They
more commercially exploitable fish,         over-abstraction and growth of                  different stakeholders about what           subdivided the land in such a way
then that would make the fisheries          the flower industry. It has been                should be done about it. Another            that it was not easily accessible to the
better. And for five years, crayfish        possible to know that because we                big problem about Lake Naivasha             people who live there. They did that
were being exported to Europe very          have been coming back year after                is that ordinary people don’t regard        after signing an agreement with the
successfully. This was in the 1970s         year. Effectively, the project ran              it as their lake even though they live      Maasai chiefs in 1904 after which the
when nobody knew any better…                from 1987 to 2007 and was funded                next to it and might go and collect         Maasai agreed to move. So for 100
nobody knew that the crayfish,              by the Earth Watch Institute,                   water every morning for washing.            years, Naivasha has had plots of land
which is an American species, was           an environmental charity that                   They don’t care much about what’s           with title deeds that largely used to
going to eat up everything.                 recruits people who want to go                  going on because they find it               be in white people’s hands. So, if there
    Indeed, it wiped out all the native     on environmental holidays during                difficult to get near its edge.             were no flower industry, you wonder
plants and then eliminated many             which they would also work. Most                                                            who would own these lands and what
of the native animal species. If you        of them were Americans. But in                    Suppose the flower industry               effect they would have on the lake.
went into the lake in the 1960s and         later years, other people came from             were not using the lake’s waters,           If there were no flower industry, it
early 1970s, your legs would be full        the UK and Asia. And sometimes,                 or were non-existent, could the             would become very valuable land
of leeches especially if you plunged        huge companies would sponsor                    lake be facing similar problems?            because of the easy access to the

        24     H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   25
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

                          Naivasha water to be shared
                   A process started by the Lake Naivasha Growers Group in 2005 culminated
                      in the harmonization of use of water resources in the basin under the
                              recently unveiled Naivasha Basin Water Allocation Plan

By Gatu Mbaria

  F
              or the first time in
              Kenya, a plan prepared
              through an all-inclusive
              and mutually agreed
process, is being used to regulate
how water found in the Naivasha
Basin is allocated, abstracted and
used by everyone living there.
   The unveiling of the Naivasha
Basin Water Allocation Plan
(WAP) marks a milestone as far
as governance of Kenya’s water
resources is concerned. It bases
the hard decisions over what
amount of water to allocate to
different users on the availability
of the resource as well as on
seasonal variations in the volume             John Philip Olum, CEO of the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) during the interview.
of the water found in either Lake
Naivasha or in its feeder rivers and        Naivasha Growers Group (LNGG) in                 environmental conditions.                role of enforcing the rules to the
ground water table.                         2005. According to LNGG chairman                    ‘’The plan has taken into             12 water user associations and
   Set to be in operation between           Richard Fox, the organisation                    consideration the seasonal variation     provides sanctions to be imposed
July 2011 and June 2014, the WAP            had spent 40,000 Euros to pay                    and availability of water,’’ says john   on violators after they have been
also offers a stringent process             consultants who came up with                     Philip Olum, WRMA chief executive        investigated,     identified   and
of issuing water permits and                the initial plan in 2007. The latter             officer.                                 warned. The plan says WRMA can
asks bodies charged with that               was then submitted to the Water                     The plan’s overall goal is            confiscate their equipment or
responsibility to abide by it.              Resources Management Authority                   to reduce water abstraction              even revoke their permits. Further,
   ‘’It is important that abstractions      (WRMA). But it took over three                   by 10 per cent by 2012.                  violators can be prosecuted and ‘’if
are scaled according to availability        years of consultations before it                 Among the main water bodies in the       found guilty, would be liable to a
of the resource,’’ it reads in part.        received widespread acceptance                   basin are Lake Naivasha, and Malewa,     fine, imprisonment, or both.’’
According to data presented in              by most of the stakeholders.                     Gilgil, Turasha and Karati rivers.          There is hope that the Naivasha
the plan, there are as many as 928              ‘’We are encouraged that the                    The most important issues will        Basin Water Allocation Plan will
abstraction points in the entire            Plan has been officially adopted by              be how to make different water           solve some of the most critical
basin with the biggest percentage           WRMA,’’ said Mr Fox.                             users comply with the plan and           issues affecting water use in the
being those getting water from                  The WAP seeks to harmonize                   how it would be enforced. It             basin. Occasionally, tension over
ground water table (32 per cent)            how water found in the basin                     appears that those who prepared          water use had degenerated into
while Lake Naivasha has 88. In              is used by government bodies,                    WAP had acknowledged that                conflict pitting players in the
addition, 358,250m3 of water is             institutions, private industries,                getting everyone to comply might         horticulture industry against
abstracted each day from different          agricultural concerns as well as                 be a major headache.                     pastoralists, smallholder farmers
water sources there, of which               residents of local towns, pastoralists              ‘’WAP recognizes weakness in          and residents of Naivasha town
156,441m3 is sourced from the lake          and smallholder farmers. By doing                compliance to and enforcement.’’         and other centres.
itself. The plan says this intensive        so, it attempts to avoid tensions                   At the same time, Mr Fox told            On their part, NGOs, local and
abstraction of the water had led            and conflicts experienced over the               Horticultural News that will be ‘’a      international media have taken
to the diminishing of river flows as        years as different users clamoured               challenge.’’ To go around this, the      a keen interest on the goings on
well as falling of the lake water level     for the finite resource. For instance,           plan proposes ‘’raising awareness        in the basin with some openly
besides having a negative impact            it restricts how much water can be               of the benefits of complying             taking sides and providing
on underground water sources.               abstracted from different water                  with the rules and the potential         additional fuel that has kept the
   The plan was prepared through            bodies in the basin and recognizes               consequences of not complying.’’         tension alive.
a process started by the Lake               that water availability is subject to            Olum says it also assigns the

         26     H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1   27
|| LAKE NAIVASHA ||

Lake Naivasha Management Plan
By correspondent                           updating of the water budget and               only through designated public             habitat areas.
                                           the monitoring of the lake levels.             corridors and prohibits grazing on            The plan seeks to enhance tourism
   The Lake Naivasha Management               Equally important is carrying out           riparian land.                             and recreation facilities and promote
Plan was drafted with the aim of           a hydrological study on the lake’s                It calls for environmental appraisal    fisheries through monitoring and
ensuring sustainable management            water budget and instituting meters            of the watershed to determine              collection of accurate data on the
and development of the lake’s              to ensure that water is drawn as               erosion hazards and assist in the          commercial catch.
ecosystem.                                 provided for in the water permits.             formulation of a District Forestry            Other measures described
   It seeks to bring about better             On habitat management and                   Action Plan. It seeks rehabilitation of    in the plan include regulating
management of the lake’s                   nature conservation in the lake                degraded areas, stops the cultivation      the horticulture and agriculture
environmentandnaturalresources.            zone, the plan advocates for                   on river banks and the control of tree     sectors and ensuring proper
This is through ensuring efficient         the establishment of an acacia                 harvesting and charcoal burning            waste and wastewater disposal.
water use, habitat management,             woodland and the restoration of                to protect catchment areas in the          Additionally,        it      provides
environmental appraisal of its             papyrus around the lake. This is               Naivasha Basin.                            for the identification and
watershed and monitor what is              expected to form a buffer zone of                 To ensure that the health of plant      designation of public access
happening to wildlife in the basin.        at least 100m back from the land-              and animal species is maintained,          routes, development of suitable
   The plan attempts to control            side edge. Papyrus is important in             the plan seeks to monitor the food         management           practices     to
water use by determining how               water purification.                            chain and support studies of bird          promote education, recreation
water is allocated through the                The plan further restricts                  species, monitor the composition           and sustainable use through a
establishment of a water policy.           livestock access to the lake and               of submerged vegetation in the             number of measures.
In addition, it also provides for the      says animals should go there                   lake as well as protect sensitive

                                         Radiant for pests
 Farmers have the choice of a               “Radiant provides a broad
 new insecticide when fighting              spectrum of pest control while
 pesticides following the launch            maintaining populations of most
 of ‘Radiant’ by Lachlan Kenya and          beneficial insects. It has short
 Dow AgroSciences of France.                re-entry, a three-day pre-harvest
 The insecticide is targets small           interval, low use rates, and has
 insects like worms, thrips and leaf        minimal personal protective
 miners which cause significant             requirements making it a
 losses in vegetables. Radiant is also      convenient, cheaper and easy-to-
 active on diamondback moth and             use product,” he said.
 other pests.                               Among its other qualities is
 According to Mr Angus Ker, Lachlan         that it offers fast knock-down
 Kenya’s sales and marketing                against pests and is ideal for
 director, the pesticide will be            rotational use in Integrated Pest
 available in local outlets in three        Management (IPM) programmes.
 weeks.                                     It provides sharp, consistent
                                            protection from insects between               Mr Bruno de Canson, the food chain leader, Europe-Eufrasia of
 “The product is to be repackaged           sprays and may either remain                  AgroSciences.
 and then released into the market          on the surface or penetrate into
 in units that are ideal for both                                                         suffer most from insect pests due         and apply multiple pesticides
                                            the leaf to control insects both
 large and small-scale farmers                                                            to lack of resources to purchase          on vegetable farms,” said Mr
                                            by contact and ingestion (called
 and vegetable growers,” said Mr                                                          insecticides. To meet the special         Anampiu.
                                            translaminar activity).
 Ker, adding that the insecticide                                                         needs of this market segment,             To ensure efficacy, Lachlan always
 would be formally launched in              The US Environmental Protection               Mr Kithinji Anampiu, Dow                  tests any pesticide on its 5-acre
 Naivasha during the Naivasha               Agency has accepted it for                    AgroSciences East Africa Territory        trial plot before releasing into the
 Horticultural Fair 2011 scheduled          registration and is labeled for               Manager, said that Radiant                market, said Mr Ker, who added
 for September 16-17. Similar               use in bulbs, fruiting, leafy and             would be available in 30-millilitre       that the plot has over 40 crop
 launches will be in Rongai and             root vegetables, cole crops, corn,            packaging.                                varieties.
 Nanyuki.                                   cucurbits, legumes, potatoes,
                                                                                          “Radiant’s low-cost effectiveness
 Mr MarioVietto, Dow AgroSciences           soybeans and strawberries. In
                                                                                          should not be seen in terms               “I can put Radiant among the top
 Africa head of marketing, said that        this regard, local farmers who
                                                                                          of being cheap but in terms               three insecticides I have handled
 Radiant is effective against a wide        use Radiant have no fear of their
                                                                                          of the wide range of pests it             recently. When launched, its price is
 variety of pests but not harmful           produce being rejected in the US.
                                                                                          acts against which in turn does           also going to be very encouraging,”
 to beneficial insects.                     Small-holder vegetable farmers                way with the need to purchase             was his parting shot.

       28    H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I a u g u s t - s e p t e M b e r 2 0 1 1
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