Two tragedies

Lake Elementaita is on its death bed... We have always loved to visit Lake Elementaita Lodge. It is situated above one of the smaller saline lakes which is a breeding ground for the lesser flamingo and a vital breeding ground for the pelicans that live in lake Nakuru. It is also home to between 350 and 400 bird species. The lake was once fed by two rivers. One, Mbaruku, became seasonal in the 90's due to degradation of the catchment areas and later dried completely. The other, Karinadusi, flows from a hot spring but is being drained upstream for irrigation.

The lodge sits on a rise above the lake and was once the home of a British army officer who settled there in colonial times. The carefully cultivated grounds were full of lush plants and exotic coloured bougainvillea.

The area of the lake is now only 85% of what it was and a few remaining birds huddle close to the out flow of the Kariandusi. The two pictures below give an idea of what could be seen just a few years ago as the surface was totally covered with pink flamingos. The third picture shows it today



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The second tragedy is also man made. December is the traditional season for girls to be 'circumcised' . Unfortunately efforts to eliminate the practice have met with mixed success, most especially in the traditional, rural areas. Last week two pregnant girls of 15 and 16 were forcibly 'cut' in preparation for their marriage. In the Pokot community it is a taboo to marry uncircumcised women and girls who fall pregnant have to be initiated before giving birth.

Some 140 under-age girls have been circumcised in the larger West Pokot District since the season started last week.

One organization (unnamed) that fights the practice has written to the UN to force the government to intervene and save 350 girls expected to be circumcised in North Rift province this season. It is possible to even have the cut performed in hospitals, supposedly with less risk of infection and complications than with the traditional dirty knives and unsterilised sewing equipment.

Some courageous girls flee their community and take refuge with religious or other institutions. However, this normally means that they can never return home to their family.

FGM promises a future of gynecological and obstetric complications for women. Canadian MP Keith Martin wrote a few days ago to the UN and to the African Union condemning the practice and urging the government to take more forceful action.