A team of technical experts from the government agencies, NGOs and CBOs held a meeting at Maseno Agricultural Training Center to carry out a SWOT Analysis aimed at restoring river Auji.
Some of the strengths identified during the discussions were: the existing policies on water quality regulations, waste management regulations, wetlands river banks and lake shores regulations, sustainable waste management Act, Kisumu County climate change Act, the Kisumu solid waste management plan and the existing management structures that would be key during implementation of planned activities.
However, some challenges or weaknesses established included lack of environmental and waste disposal policies, underground pipes laid by landlords to discharge waste water into the river and lack of enforcement of the existing policies and regulations.
The deliberations also outlined the opportunities or interventions that can be exploited towards the restoration of river Auji.
The interventions include: growing indigenous trees, sensitization of the community members on riparian land and waste management, linear park or picnic site, reduction of pollution, baseline analysis on water quality, pegging, surveillance across the river to identify underground pipes discharging waste water into the river.
The deliberations will inform the development of a report which will be used to draft a multi sectoral action plan to approach the identified issues.
