Once upon a time Izava river
flowed crystal clean, undisturbed and hosted fish among other animals. This was
when Murogoli still lived in Mungoma. Then with time, as children were born
unto his sons, we presently have a brown, reducing flow and poisonous water for
our cattle and selves. It started when posho mills were first run by water.
Izava river may not be passing by
your place but the streams there are its feeders. How well do you take care of
them?
Kivanda is the traditional
maragoli place where the farm meets the river. The place is known for growing
trees and fetching firewood. Of recent, new developments along the river are
affecting its life as Mr. Francis, director of VICODEC observes.
Maragoli is aesthesized by River
Izava and the tributaries that feed it. Vidaho, water fetching springs are the
main feeders. River Yala passes on the North boundary between Vihiga and Kakamega
counties. The county’s water shed is a reflection of where the river flows.
One day we went swimming mukivanda cha masimba on your way from
Sabatia to Mudungu. We were welcomed by a red river whose change was as a
result of mass fishing called musengeri.
Musengeri is a concoction of bitter herbs that they said made fish drunk and
float with water. Then nets and baskets waited the harvest at some point along
the river. Emotions! No child can now go with a hook to the river for there is
nothing. Not even crabs.
Pollution of the river sometimes
back was not hazardous for the river could clean itself along the way. Children
swimming and sometimes urinating with a few songs to ‘cleanse’ themselves would
have least effects compared to the tea fertilizers and erosion that now forms
part of the river.
And this is the song that we sang
before urinating near the river;
Rikere rinyaraa masai Frog urinates blood
Inzi nzinyaraa mazi Me urinates water
Presently people have invested in commercial eucalyptus growing along
the river and the rate by which those trees are taking in water and wasting it
away through their many leaves is sickening. First, those leaves in large
quantities find themselves in the river, rotting, altering its pH. The trees
reduce the water table by their rate of water comsumption. They should not be
found in less than a radius of 50M from the river bank just as no activity
should go on near the river bank by at least 30M radius.
Two old men stood by the river on the bridge that connects Viyalo to
Demesi (Mbale) looking at its flow. As we were talking on issues to do with
clans and history, a drunken youth came along and they started asking him
whether he sees the effect of the river on his land. A sump of land had fallen in
the river and they told him to plant trees. Looking well, there were natural
vegetation by the side that the man ploughed. The advise he was given is not
right. Let the river be.
Down in Emuhaya the locals term the river Ichava, a corruption of Izava. Looking from Daraja tatu, there is a
slanting piece of land where the owner has cultivated maize to the river.
Imagine! Where does the fertilizers go to when it rain? It leaches top the
river. And when our cows drink the water they grow hollow, poor and
malnourished. Ever seen the cows in Vihiga county?
There is a car wash place at Lunyerere bridge to Chavakali from Mbale.
It is just 5 metres from the river. Its soaps and dirt join the pollution of
sand harvesters. The flow of the river at that point is same as it was in
Losengeli despite so many feeders on the way. Each day Izava complains. One day
it might give up, and what a ridge we will have to extend our shambas!
It is not yet late because sewage lines haven’t
been directed there. We can take the river to what it was when the white man
came even if it will entail brushing with a few shoulders. The old people say
that Izava was a beautiful river, of a crescent glow, unpolluted.
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