The story about fish dying in Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh water body and second in the world after North America’s Lake Superior, needs persistent media probing for solutions.
The story, ‘Concern over fresh wave of fish deaths in Lake Victoria cages,’ published by the Daily Nation on September 30, 2025, reported pollutants as a possible cause of fish death.
The lake has constantly been in the middle of geopolitical and ecological storms, its water’s safety compromised by increasing human activities such as rapidly changing land use for development, commercial, and industrial activities.
Cage fish management was introduced for effective, sustainable livelihoods among the fishing communities within Lake Victoria region, reducing traditional fishing.
According to the story, a cage represents an investment of Sh400,000 and yields maximally Sh800,000.
Friends of Dunga Swamp described the disaster as preventable, having written to the County government and the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) over concern of effluent from Nyamasaria River.
Similar fish death was experienced at the same Dunga beach in 2023, with the Nation reporting the cause of death as oxygen deprivation in the story, ‘Massive fish kill leaves Kisumu fishermen staring at loses worth Sh100 million,’ published on April 13.
Investigation into fish death revealed oil spills, decomposing aquatic matter, and untreated waste discharge, as contributing factors, wrote Nation on February 16, 2025 in the story, ‘Pollution, oil spills, kill fish in Lake Victoria’.
Journalists should further make follow up with Nema, after the lake community raised concern that Nema had not yet released data on Nyamasaria River water quality or disclosed whether industries upstream complied with water and waste management regulations.
Concerns of the fishing community through their secretary Hezbone Owino that if the pollution continues cage farming will collapse, along with Kisumu fish economy, should lead journalists to pursue the matter.
The water is not only useful for the fishing sector; it is also used in domestic and commercial activities.
Clean water is important for the existence of the lake ecosystem, which supports other living organisms contributing to nature balance.
Journalists should not let go of this important water mass, also rated as largest tropical lake in the world, before culprits are exposed.
