Besides Kenya’s rich wildlife heritage and agricultural land, the country is blessed with a number of important mineral resources scattered within its territorial borders. Some of the minerals are already being produced for commercial purposes while others remain untouched in spite of having already been discovered.

Mineral Resources And Their Areas Of Occurrence

• Gold: Kakamega Gold Fields, Macaulder, Asembo bay
  
  

• Sodium: Lake Magadi, Magadi Mine

• Manganese: Mrima Hill, Gilgil, Kiwara Hill

• Nickel: West Pokot

• Graphite: Oldoinyo Nyiro

• Silver Kinagoni Geomin

• Cobalt: Lake Magadi

• Chromium: West Pokot

• Lead: Kinagoni Geomin

• Flourine-flourite: Kerio Valley

• Magnesite: Kapoponi, Kitui

• Halite: Lake Magadi

• Niobium (Columbium): Mrima Hill

• Wollastonite: Lolkidongai

• Naturalgas and oil in Turkana

There are other minerals in Kenya. However, most of them are either under-utilized or not utilized at all. Perhaps, this are preserves of the future, with more being discovered day in day out.

Nairobi City Council has rules which ensure smooth running of the city in kenya; anyone found violating the city council law is fined. Some of the bylaws of the Nairobi city council include; making noise in the public which cause destruction and nuisance, construction or destruction which can poses risk to the citizens, inadequate fencing of the land which causes risk or leaving things on the ground which may cause harm to human.

Blocking a free passage or destroying Public Street willfully, misuse of councils property, cutting tree(s) without a councils permit is an offence, playing any game in the city; be it driving game, riding game or propelling game is illegal. One should not write signs on buildings or any act of defacing the building. Careless depositing of waste in the streets is prohibited by the city council.

It is illegal to operate any prostitution related business in the city, spitting carelessly or blowing the nose aimlessly without use of tissue or handkerchief is prohibited. Behavioral actions which lower the normal decency are prohibited, defecating and urinating on the streets or a public place is illegal. One should not keep poultry or animals which cause nuisance to the neighbors.

Vehicles should only be washed and repaired in designated areas except in cases of emergency, public vehicles should not tout passengers, overloading of vehicles is illegal, failing to observe traffic rules including traffic lights and zebra crossings is an offence. Cut trees which causes passage of vehicles or cause danger is an offence.

All commercialized poultry should be inspected, all the houses in Nairobi should be renovated through painting and repairs annually, all the tree hedges should be trimmed, chopped or removed for the safety of the citizens. All the landlords should ensure that the buildings are in good condition and frontage of the buildings kept clean. The landlords should install security lights in front of their buildings

One is prohibited from reserving parking space without city councils authority, packing without payment is illegal and parking in a city council garden is violation of the law. Directing a driver in to and out of a parking space or even by signaling is illegal. Placing adverts and doing business in the parking space is illegal.

Destroying a vehicles clamp or attempting to remove is illegal, clamping is caused by failure to pay the parking fee, any clamped vehicle must pay clamping fee to city council, city council will not be responsible incase of damages caused to your vehicle during clamping, obstruction of city council’s officers from enforcing these by laws is an offense. When your vehicle knocks an electricity post you should pay for restoration fees.

Nonpayment of city councils fee within sixty days will lead to disposal of the vehicle through public auction. The parking ticket should be placed in front of the wind screen for a clear display. Those willing to run private parking must register with the city council to obtain the permit. Parking is free on public holidays, Saturdays from 2pm and Sundays.

Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa with a surface of twenty six thousand square miles. It is also the world’s second largest fresh water lake behind Lake Superior in North America. The lake is shared by two other countries, Uganda and Tanzania.

The name Victoria came from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Lake Victoria has an average depth of forty meters with the deepest point being eighty four meters deep. The main sources of water in this lake are rain and other smaller streams that flow into the lake. Rain accounts for eighty percent of the water in the lake while the other percentage is accounted for by the latter sources of water.

Lake Victoria is about four thousand years old. The lake has dried up completely several times in the past, with the last time being seventeen thousand, three hundred years ago. The largest river that flows into the lake is river Kagera. The famous White Nile is the only river that flows out from the lake making Lake victoria the source of River Nile.

The lake was first discovered by Arab traders around eleven sixty before Christ. They also generated a map of the lake at about the same time. John Hanning Speke was the first European to travel to the lake and was also the man who sited the lake as being the source of the White Nile.

The worst recorded accident on Lake Victoria was in May twenty first nineteen ninety six when the ferry MV Bukoba sank. About one thousand people lost their lives during this incident. The accident went down in the books of history as the worst maritime disasters in the history of Africa.

Pollution, water hyacinth and excessive fishing in this lake are the main health hazards on this lake. The excessive fishing owing to the booming fish export has resulted to low population in the fish. The hyacinths reduce the amounts of oxygen flowing in the lake thereby killing some lake animals. Similarly, oil and other pollutants from industries reduce the amounts of oxygen in the lake.

Kenya is one of the biggest tourist destinations in East and Central Africa. Tourists are attracted to Kenya’s warm weather, escaping the chilling cold winters in the temperate countries. Wildlife also attracts tourists. Kenya is well known for its big five which include the leopard, rhino, buffalo, lion and the great elephant. It is very disturbing to realize that four of the ‘big five’ are facing the risk of extinction. Too many of them fall prey to poachers who put their selfish interests first at the expense of the whole tourism and hotel industry.

Latest news relays that poaching activities in Kenya are used to fund Al- Shabaab activities. Our wildlife, especially the elephants and the rhinos are disappearing at an alarming rate. It is estimated that Kenya loses two elephants weekly to poachers. Last year, Kenya lost a total of 278 elephants to poachers. This is alarming, bearing in mind that in 2012, Kenya lost 131 jumbos; showing an increase of 147 elephants. Statistics show that if poaching continues at this rate, Kenya will lose its elephants in 12 years. Statistics have also ranked wildlife trafficking the third largest prohibited industry that pays handsomely.

In a bid to establish why this menace does not seem to end, I was shocked at the realization of the amount of money game produce fetches. A kilo of rhino horn fetches $865,000 which is the equivalent of 5.5 million Kenya Shillings. A mature rhino produces 6-7 kilos of the coveted horn. That simply means that elephant and rhino horns sell higher than gold even in the black markets. Poachers kill for bone parts, fur, ivory and other parts. The returns are therefore worth risking for. Animal sanctuaries known for loss of their wildlife to poaching include among others, Meru National Park, Tsavo East National Park and Arawale National Reserve.

How do they catch and kill these animals? The deadliest techniques are used to capture these animals. Two of the worst ways are shooting the animals with silenced rifles. A bullet from an AK47, if well aimed can bring down an elephant instantly without a big struggle. The other technique employed is the use of snares and traps. These traps set by poachers or hunters of game meat have the ability to wound an animal so deeply to its death. The bad thing about these snares is that they also catch and sometimes kill animals that they are not intended for or those that the poacher or hunters do not need.

The government is responding to these fatalities but the problem is that what the government is doing is not good enough to substantially change this critical situation. In the meantime, all that Kenyans and future tourists can do is to hope that a permanent solution will be found to this menace of poaching.

 

Mount Kenya

The mountain is the highest in Kenya and second in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro of Tanzania. Mount Kenya is 5199m and is found in the central parts of Kenya. It is a major source of water for many rivers and continues to support a number of wildlife activities being a home to various wild animals. It is a major tourist attraction centre and that gives it the reason to be counted as being crucial to the economic development of the country.

Mount Elgon

It is located in the western part of Kenya and its 4321m.The mountain attracts a lot of tourist from neighboring countries and also domestic ones that love site seeing. It is also a source of many rivers and the place continues to support farming activities in the area as it attracts rain. The mountain supports various economic activities such as hunting by the forest found near it and also tourism to generate revenue for the country.

Mount Longonot

Found in Nakuru,the mountain is big and attracts many Kenyans and tourists from many regions of the world. The mountain has a hole or vents at the top something that makes unique among the various mountain types. It continues to help the education sector especially by the many number of university students that cone at the place to carry out research.

Mount Opuru

It is found in Nakuru and is 2856m high. The mountain continues to play important roles in the economic life of the country by not only being used as a source of water for farming but also provides money for revenue. It has facilitated many tourist activities making domestic tourism to grow at great levels.

Mount Magila

It is found in Turkana and is about 1698.The mountain has forests that are source for many rivers in the area. It has played very crucial roles in ensuring that the economic conditions of the town continue to grow well and at a more fast and efficient manner. The mountain is good and makes the area look good.

 

The National Environmental Management Authority in Kenya is the agency mandated by the Government of Kenya to handle all matters pertaining to environmental conservation and management in Kenya. The NEMA management authority in Kenya was formed as an act of parliament in 1996 under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1996 in Kenya.

The National Environmental Management Authority headquarters offices in Kenya are found in Nairobi City along Mombasa Road. The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) offices in Nairobi are located at Bellevue off Kapiti Road. The National Environmental Management Authority head offices in Nairobi are accessible on week working days by both private and public means. Public service vehicles in Nairobi to National Environmental Management Authority offices can be boarded along Accra Road. The embassava buses in Nairobi that ply the Mombasa Road route in Nairobi can drop you off at the Bellevue bus terminus near NEMA offices in Nairobi. Alternatively you can board public vehicles heading to South C estate in Nairobi to get to National Environmental Management Authority in Nairobi at the bus terminus beside Afya Centre house in Nairobi along Tom Moboya Street in Nairobi. The matatus plying the South C route in Nairobi usually branch off from Mombasa Road at Bellevue junction where National Environmental Management Authority offices are located.

Some of the core functions of the National Environmental Management Authority agency in Kenya include: NEMA agency in Kenya is responsible for taking stock of the Kenya’s natural resources, for establishing and reviewing various land use guidelines in Kenya, Advising the government of Kenya on necessary legislative measures that pertain to environmental management in Kenya and Monitoring the use of both human and financial resources in Kenya for environmental management. The National Environmental Management Authority in Kenya also determine the effect of land use polices in Kenya on the quality and quantity of natural resources in Kenya. NEMA environmantal agency in Kenya also Identify projects that need environmental audits in Kenya and impact assessments to be done in Kenya and the agency in Kenya is responsible for Giving lead and associate environmental expert licenses in Kenya to practicing environmental impact assessment officers in Kenya and environmental audit officers in Kenya.

The National Environmental Management Authority also gives licenses on permissible noise and pollution levels in Kenya to various industries based in Kenya. The NEMA environmental agency also liaises with various manufacturing companies in Kenya to ensure that the effluent they generate is properly treated before disposal to ensure minimum environmental degradation.

For ease of service provision, the National Environment Management Authority in Kenya has established branch offices in most major towns in Kenya.

It is more than five months since the revival and closure of the Pan Paper Mills. Was the re-opening of the factory here to cause Webuye residents more health harms through its released fumes that they inhale, the water released to the river, the iron sheets of their houses rusting and massive deforestation? This is the question on many people’s lips living around and within Webuye.

However, the then factory’s revival leader, Dr. Wafula Muliaro now under the newly appointed Receivership Manager Mr. Ian Small had reassured residents of Webuye that the fumes produced as a result of paper production are not harmful to the people inhaling them or those who come in contact with them.

“The fumes from paper production go through the machines for testing and purification before being released in the atmosphere,” said Muliaro.

Webuye Pan African paper mills now Webuye Paper Mills, an industrial company, opened in 1974 and ever since, the residents around the factory are living in a “polluted” environment.

2008 according to the official Hansard record, the Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu had inquired from the industrialization minister if he was aware of the hazardous and harmful emissions to the environment, human life and surrounding building emanating from the Paper mills.

In response, the then, Assistant Minister for Industrialization Mr. Ndiritu Muriithi had said he was aware of the air emissions emanating from the operations of the Pan African paper Mills, Webuye, in the form of particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, chlorine gas and hydrogen chloride gas. He had further said that, there is liquid effluent from the factory which is discharged through the treatment ponds and thereafter, after treatment, to river Nzoia.

Mureithi had further said, the company had put in place internal mechanisms which include modern equipment and facilities that ensure that the emissions and liquid effluent remain within the standards set by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

However, this contradicts the Prime Ministers’ sentiments during its closure during the official opening of the Butali Sugar company where he said that what was being experienced at the plant was lack of modern technology, lack of trees as raw material and unfocussed administration. In support, past management indicated since 1997, the performance had deteriorated due to external factors among them high energy prices.

Subsequently, an International Finance Corporation (IFC) a member of the World Bank audit completed in August 2009 to ensure a safe and proper start up and de-commissioning of the facility in its Ombudsman Assessment report acknowledges the same.

Consequently, Mureithi had  disclosed that, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) in their audit report  of the organisation’s environmental management system done on 27th and 28th October, 2008, the plant is international Standards Organisation (ISO) certified with an ISO certificate NO. 14001 of 2004 on environmental management which ensures that air emissions and effluents are properly treated and have no negative effects on environment, human life and buildings.

The only large-scale pulp and paper factory is in Webuye town. There are also a few smaller industries involved in paper recycling. Webuye’s Pan Paper Mills has been associated with air pollution and obnoxious smells. Key air pollutants from this sector are oxides of nitrogen, sulphur, hydrogen sulphide gas and dust. Oxide emissions from the plant contribute to acid rain whose effects include corrosion of iron sheet roofs, leaching of plant leaves and reduction in fish species in Nzoia River.

Wildlife is one of the best tourist attractions in the country and it is good if the government took the initiative of ensuring that it caters and solves the various problems facing the wildlfe industyr in the country before making it become less productive.The folloing are some of the major challenges facing wildlife in the country and it is good if the government took the initiative of solving them

Poaching

Ilegal hunting of animals is taking place in a numebr of gameparks found in the country.Many poachers are invading the parks and end up killng alot of anials that could have attracted tourist in the country and make them be relaible for quite a certain duration of time.Poachers are killing alot of animals and the governemnt needs to get better ways of reducing the habit before it becomes more persistent and common among many people.

Fires

Huge fires can invade the parks making them destroy alot of natural resources such as trees and also cause animals to attack the neignbouring communities.It is good for the public to take into consideration the various ways that can be used to control natural fires to help reduce the high risks of them consuming the places.Tourists should also be discouraged from visiting the parks while smoking cigarettes.

Poor Disposal of waste

Many people entering the various national parks of the country eventually end up throwing alot of dust materials in places that are not suitable and are often not good for the place.Poor disposal of litter makes the parks to appear very unclean and should be immediately discouraged.

Prolonged Drought

The problem is one of the worst when they tend to take place in the national parks of the country.They continually act as a destrcution to the water levels and many animals will eventaully die as they depend on water for survival and further get food from plants that need water

 

There are several types but predominantly they are classified as either primary or planted forests. These forests are on an alarming decline due to human activities such as clearing land for settling the large population. The forest types in Kenya are described below.

 Primary plantations reserved for protection purposes e.g., indigenous forests of Kenya, These forests consist of native species and have had no human intervention such that their ecological processes are intact and not significantly disturbed. Primary forests are those forests that have never been logged and have developed under natural processes. They are predominantly grown through natural regeneration e.g., closed indigenous forest confined to high elevations such as those found in Mt. Kenya, mountain ranges of the Aberdares, Mau and Cherengani.

They are also found on higher elevations such as hills, mountains near the northern and southern borders of the country like Mts. Marsabit and Kulai and the Eastern Arc Mountains of Taita Hills. The forests in the western parts e.g., remnants of the Guino-Congolian rainforest found in Nandi and Kakamega areas and the mangrove forests along the Coast.

Planted forests are the forest established through afforesting land or a secondary forest established by planting or direct seeding. Examples include plantations of exotic species of Pinus patula, Eucalyptus saligna and Cupressus lusitanica that were introduced around some primary forests to: to add value to indigenous forests, for production of pulp and paper andPlantations include also other wooded land planted with introduced species and also in some cases native species. Such forests are established through planting or seeding with exotic species characterized by few species, straight tree lines and to act as buffers to indigenous forests.

Other wooded forests also exist in Kenya and these are forests whose trees’ crown cover is 5 to10 %, able to reach a height of 5m at maturityExamples are shrubs or bush cover of more than 10 percent found mostly in semi arid areas such as in Kenya.Forests are also known by the area they are found