Every time I walk along the shows of Lake Victoria in Kisumu city, I see young people washing vehicles.
They do their work with zeal and enthusiasm. They are always ready to welcome a new customer and can easily sport a new one even though they do have esteemed customers they serve on a daily or weekly basis.
Who will dare drive a dirty car in Kisumu, a region known for its flamboyant residents?
Working and getting your daily bread in an open manner is what every Kenyan would wish.
The central and county governments, NGOs and everybody in the country are asking the youths to get involved in anything and everything as long as it is legal.
Car washing is not a bad venture considering that it has created employment.
Have we ever asked ourselves about the effects of these car washing activities on the lakeshores?
Lake Victoria is currently on its deathbed due to the water hyacinth menace.
Both the central and county governments NGOs and well-wishers are working hard on a daily basis to solve the problem.
It should also be noted that fish stocks in the lake are dwindling no wonder getting a fish in Kisumu city is becoming more unrealistic.
Washing cars closer to the lake is not a bad thing but disposing the waste in the lake after the activity is a dreaded affair that is dangerous to aquatic life.
The detergents used for washing, are made from chemicals. The chemicals together with dirt residues are likely to chock the fish and other water animals.
The county government through the Ministry of Water, Environment and Natural Resources is working hard daily to make Kisumu a tourist attraction center and the water animals are a plus for the success of this venture.
I know most of the youth washing cars at the lake do not understand the negative impact caused by their activity to fish and other animals.
If it is out of ignorance and lack of knowledge, and then, the county government and NGOs should come up with ways of educating the youths on importance of environmental conservation.
It is also important for the county government to set aside a place the youth can do their work without interfering with the lake.
Keeping our environment clean is mandatory and anything we do should not affect plants and other animals both land and aquatic.
It is saddening that the amount of fish produced in Lake Victoria is reducing day by day and the trend will not change soon if we continue depositing dirt and chemicals in the lake.
Keeping the environment clean is a preserve for everybody. As we work hard daily washing cars to get our daily bread, let us also thing of aquatic life.
Animals also have a life to live and to live in a clean environment. Do not forget that we humans are the end beneficiaries of increased fish and other aquatic animals