LAMU FISHERMEN GET MVUVI IDENTIFICATION CARDS MINIMISE SECURITY AGENTS HARASSMENT

The national government has launched the Mvuvi card that will enable Lamu fishermen be easily identified by security personnel as they go about their fishing ventures on the Indian Ocean.
Atleast 300 fishermen were handed the Mvuvi cards that features the identification information of the fishermen including their National Identity card number, a special serial number and their respective beach management Units-BMUs.
The cards that were launched in Lamu ,have also been installed with a microchip that will enable security officers to monitor and be able to know where each individual fisherman is on the ocean.
The new cards will enable the fishermen conduct their activities without being harassed by security agencies over the issue of identification.
Somo Mohamed Somo said that the card will minimize security agents harassment, where also it will be easy to track and monitor fishermen.
“We are happy that Mvuvi card is out and that our fishermen have received them, the card will make it easy for us to monitor fishermen and also easy the work of police agents, also it will stop harassment by security agents” said Somo.
These comes as a relief for fishermen in the region who have endured a seven year night fishing ban that has seen many of them literally drop the venture.
Previous reports have indicated that Al shabaab militants have posed as fishermen so as to gain access to Lamu through the porous Somalia border.
The same avenue has been used by Alshabaab recruitment agents who pose as fishermen while actually ferrying radicalized youth in and out of Somalia via the Indian Ocean in Lamu.
Armed with these among other factors, security officers have numerously been reported to harass fishermen found fishing at night on suspecting that they could actually be militants.
The fishermen in these cases have been unable to prove their mission since many don’t carry their ID cards whenever they go fishing.
Those given first priority to access the cards are those from Ishakani and Kiunga areas that are located on the immediate border of Lamu and Somalia.
Lamu County Deputy Commissioner Louis Rono said the cards will enable the security agents in the region to easily fish out real fishermen.
400 fishermen have so far received the same Mvuvi cards in the first phase of the exercise.
A total of 4500 fisher persons in Lamu are targeted for the cards.
Rono said the launch of the Mvuvi card was a revolutionary moment in the security management of the region and urged all fishermen to fully cooperate with all security units to ensure marine security and that of the entire county is at its best.
“What we did today was the second phase. We did the first in April. The same process continues until all the over 4500 fishermen here all receive these cards. On security Lamu comes first,the cards will actually sieve the real fishermen,” said Rono.
Lamu governor Fahim Twaha expressed confidence that the move would greatly improve the sector which had dimmed due to the seven year night fishing ban which he said left many reeling in poverty in a region where majority depend on fishing as a livelihood.
“Lamu can’t do without fishing, we have survived on this sector for decades and I must say the ban was not doing it any good but now with these cards, the fishermen will still go out there and fish and live their lives as before,” said Twaha.
Lamu East MP Athman Shariff urged the fishermen to form formidable unions that will enable them access loans and improve their trade.
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LAKE KENYATTA WILL BE GAZETTED FOR ITS CONSERVATION,WARMA ASSURES CONSERVERS

Deforestation, Human encroachment has been attributed to the main cause of Lake Kenyatta’s drying.
This was revealed by community based organizations that conserve the environment on the deforestation and also human activities that are being done in water ways.
  The exercise that was organized by Water Resource authority Management Authority (WARMA) is in the process of ensuring that Lake Kenyatta is gazetted for ease conservation.
During a meeting with different conservation groups in Mpeketoni, the organization stated that there is need for Lake Kenyatta to be gazetted for it to be conserved.
According to Mecoby a conservation community based organization that conserves the environment chair Kamau Gitu, there is need to have more trees planted so as to increase the forest cover , he suggested that farmers be given seedlings so as they can own the trees.
Gitu said “If we want to conserve the lake, let us return the forest cover that was there, this can be achieved by planting more trees in our farms and the degraded areas”.
Bahari nominated MCA Jane Wanjiku said that the government needs to intervene and take a step in ensuring that those that have occupied the water ways are removed.
She said that it is the government that needs to take a bold step in ensuring that the wetlands that have been occupied by individuals are reposed.
“The government needs to act fast and repose the wetlands and all waterways that have been occupied if at all we have to save Lake Kenyatta” The MCA said.
Zabedi Maina added stating that the cutline known to take water to the lake should not be interfered with thus it needs to be fenced and conserved.
He said that when the Lake had dried up march last year due to the prolonged drought that led to the death of over 300 hippopotamus and wildlife. The drought brought human animal conflict affecting 60,000 residents who depended on its waters.
During the drought, human-wildlife conflict was high with wild animals invading homes in search of water. Wild animals killed atleast 15 people injuring over 50 between January and April.
Zabedi said that encroachment has made things difficult saying there is need to sensitize locals before enforcement is done.
Clement Gumba suggested that for the CBO’s to be well conserved there was need for the gazettement of the Lake.
Water Resource Management Authority technical through the water resource authority officer Karanja Munyua said that a technical team is working on the gazettement of the Lake.
He said that the organizations is going to sensitize the public on the dangers of encroaching water ways.
“The ministry has a good will to have Lake Kenyatta be gazetted so that it can be conserved” said Karanja.
He said that desilting the lake will be a way of causing its death, ”forget about desilting,ones the lake is dug, it will be removing the membrane that holds underground waters” He said.
Lamu county conservation officer Evans Maneno said that to continue protecting the Lake, existing forest cover should be protected and that the community to take up tree planting exercise near and around their homes.
“What I can urge Lamu West sub-county residents is that there is need to plant trees in our homes and our shamba’s so as to add the existing forest cover” said Maneno.
The officer said that despite climate change being a global thing, there are mitigation measures that needs to be taken and that is planting of more trees so as to rich the required global percentage of over 10%.
He also urged herders to find alternative grazing areas as they are grazing in the lake, animals eating grass that is supposed to act as ground cover, also they are supposed to find other water sources since the large influx of animals in Lamu county from other counties has also played a big role in being the major contributors to the drastic reduction of water levels in the lake.
“Herders have also played a great role in quick reduction of water levels keeping in mind that evaporation rate is also high due to high temperatures, the best measure is for herders to stop grazing around or near the lake since the animals are destroying grass that is ground cover that protects water from evaporating fast, they (herders) should look for other grazing places and also get other water sources to preserve the Lake” he said.