Hyacinth has paralysed business at the Kisumu port after the weed engulfed the shores of Lake Victoria.
Operations at the port have been brought to a halt with ships and vessels transporting goods across the region trapped by the weed.
Movement of boats and fishing vessels has also been restricted by the hyacinth carpet. The port receives and processes goods from countries across, the region including Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
The Kenya Maritime Authority yesterday said the re-emergence of the algae has grounded business.
Boaz Ogolla, a maritime officer at the port, said the prolonged dry season was worsening the situation because it could lead to an unprecedented growth of the weed. The weed thrives in hot weather.
“Our operations have been grounded due to the weed. We have, for instance, a ship which had been loaded with fertilisers for transport to Tanzania but cannot leave the port because of the weed,” Mr Ogolla said.
“The hyacinth easily grows in still waters in full sun. This is the case we are witnessing on the lake. Matters have also been complicated by the lack of strong waves allowing the hyacinth to sprout on still waters,” he added.
The port, rated by shippers as the best in East Africa owing to its strategic location, has been operating below capacity for the past four years, a situation that has been compounded by lack of modern equipment.
Railway line
With a handling capacity of about 1,000 tonnes of cargo per day, the facility currently witnesses little activity, handling about 300 tonnes daily, according to port manager Mwalimu Disi.
One of the largest ships, MV Uhuru, which transports cargo between Kisumu, Mwanza, Port Bell and Jinja, has not operated since 2006 yet it is in good condition.
The 1,800-tonne ship is parked at the dry dock.
“Initially, the use of the port was competitive because of the railway line. It was cheaper to transport cargo from Mombasa through Kisumu to northern Tanzania,” Mr Disi said in an earlier interview.
Heavy siltation
The port’s cargo handling facilities, built by British colonialists, are now rusty, have been run down and are being vandalised. Heavy siltation has also added to the woes at the port.
The management is now banking on the standard gauge railway to improve the status of the port and bring it back to full operation.
Source: Business Daily Africa
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