By Christopher Omondi.
Hippo Point is a scenic spot on the shores of Lake Victoria and is renowned for stunning sunset views, occasional hippo sightings, and other economic activities, including fishing. However, fishing and tourism at Hippo Point face challenges as activities on the spot are affected, as reported by a fishermen group that operates in the area in their recent meeting with the Kisumu Central MP, Dr. Joshua Oron.
“The most important issue affecting operations here, first of all, is that of land grabbing, as this public beach and fishing spot has been grabbed by private companies led by Nam Lolwe Investment Limited, which has transferred its interest to Grain Bulk, and this has limited the public’s access to the beach and lake. We also know that in 2011, the National government allocated 15 million on the fencing and securing of the area, creating a viewing point for locals and tourists, building a structure for boats to dock, and also constructing a pool, but till now boats dock elsewhere, the fencing on the beach is also poor, not to mention the lack of a viewing point, the toilets in this beach are also few for the number of people that visit the beach and thus serious health concerns, the access road linking the beach with the major harambee road is also pitted and bumpy making it harder to access the beach and lastly the lighting at the beach is poor as we experience darkness and thus operations are cut short due to fear of attack from the hippopotamus that infest the beach during the dark. We are asking the member of parliament to assist with these priority matters that are affecting the economic growth of the people’’, this was raised by Eliud Oloo who is a regular trader at the beach.
There were also concerns raised over the pollution of the lake, overfishing, and climate change, as these factors affect fishing at the beach, with the fishermen requesting the county government of Kisumu to implement Industrial waste treatment and disposal systems for industries around the beach while also promoting fish farming to help manage the overfishing challenge, “ The government should help with the fishing industry in this beach by helping prevent water pollution. The European Investment Bank (EIB) provided a loan to support projects that improve water and sanitation in Kisumu back in 2020 but we still feel we are being let behind in terms of the pollution of Lake Victoria, we also appeal with the County Government of Kisumu to promote the caged fish farming at the lake to help solve the overfishing challenge’’, this is by Onyango Odino who is a fishermen group’s official.
Hippo Point faces multifaceted challenges that impact both fishing and tourism activities, with the beach threatened by pollution, invasion of species, and unsustainable practice from the public it would be better to engage of local communities in decision-making processes that can work well with the county government policies to protect the environment and enhance sustainable practices for Hippo Point.
