WATER

Today the world celebrates "World Water Day", but no one is cheering in kenya. In all the major towns and cities in Kenya water rationing, dirty and contaminated water or simply dry taps are the rule and not the exception. Dwindling water resources are becoming as precious and even pricey as oil, consider this, a litre of bottled mineral water is almost the same price as a litre of regular petrol(gas). Then why do we not preserve and guard the water resources that we are so aptly blessed with?

Here in my Newyork apartment, for the last 3years my taps have never run dry of this precious commodity. Infact they say that tap water in NYC is of such high quality that is at per with bottled water. Rumour has it that a certain Italian pizzeria owner in the carribean imports bottled NYC water to make pizza for it is reputed to be the best ingredient to make the best pizza. I want to live to see the day high quality water is supplied to every slum,suburb, and village in Kenya. I am confident the country trains quality civil enginners capable of such a task of distributing water to every nook of the beautiful country for use ala- Israel Negev desert style.

Pundits have repeatedly claimed and with good reason the next major world war will be over water resources and if recent events in the lake region are a bench mark then unless drastic counter measures are taken armed conflict or even the inevitable armageddon-sic nuclear war- will be inevitable. 1o african countries share and depend on the waters of the Nile. Rumours of war abound everytime Egypt seems threatened to be cut off by countries living upstream.

Lake victoria(Nam lolwe as we Luo call it) has been reported and i have witnessed is under major threat. With global warming and drastically changes weather patterns the water level have drastically dropped . I have grown up under the shadow of this beautiful lake and consider myself a custodian of this world treasure. Coupled with international and local efforts like this one www.osienala.org conservation and protection of all water resources should be our key priority.

A first step is to have an annual local water festival that will enlighten conservation, protection and prudent utlisation water to young and old, and expanded to other areas as this will sensitise those who live around any water source. It is ashaming to see examples of the utter disdain Kenyans have for water that only when there is none in the taps that we pause to think about it. Infact water is of such low priority that the formerly "Nairobi river" for i cannot consider it a river now in its current dispeakable condition rather an open sewer that traverses the city is a lesson in how kenyans view water- the governments problem- "serikali yafaa kuisafisha kwani army kazi yao nini?". No serious civilian effort has been undertaken to preserve it in such a long time that it just passes under the radar and the level of pollution is truly dispeakable.

Even as big cooporations try shamelessly to monopolise water resources worldwide in Africa, Canada, and Latin America - read the book "Water Barons' for a complete analysis, let as all join hands to conserve and protect what rightfully is ours.