LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

Yala Swamp, Kenya

Yala Swamp, the third largest of Kenya’s wetlands, is

situated on the deltaic sediments of the Nzoia and Yala

Rivers, at the point at which they enter the northeastern

corner of Lake Victoria. The wetlands cover an area of

17,500 ha and contain three freshwater lakes – Kanyaboli,

Sare and Namboyo. The vegetation consists of papyrus

(

Cyperus papyrus

), phragmites and typha, among others.

The Wetlands are of national importance as one of the

few habitats where the threatened sitatunga antelope

(

Tragelaphus spekeii

) is found in Kenya. The lakes contain

some critically endangered haplochromine fish species,

some of which are no longer found in Lake Victoria. The

area is also an important habitat for many birds (Lake

Victoria Basin Commission 2007).

There is a lot of farming in and around the wetlands.

The local communities harvest macrophytes for

handicraft, building and fuel. It is an important area

of grazing land and a source of water for livestock and

domestic use. Fishing is also an important economic

activity in the Swamp both for commercial and

subsistence purposes.

The major threats to the Wetlands are drainage for crop

cultivation, burning, water hyacinth infestation and

pollution as a result of siltation.

Nyadorera

Nzoia

Yala

Lake Victoria

Lake

Sare

Lake

Namboyo

Lake

Kanyaboli

KENYA

5 km

Source:T. Siegenbeek van Heukelom, 2013, “Food as security. The controversy of foreign

agricultural investment in theYalaSwamp,Kenya”,PhD. Thesis, Centre for International

Security, University ofSydney.

Future farms area

Lake Kanyaboli

National Reserve

Remaining swamp

Original swamp

Irrigation scheme

Donated community land

Farms area

Yala wetlands

200 km

Wetlands are drained and converted to agricultural land

Figure 2.6: Land use changes around the YalaWetlands