Whispers of the Marsh

Kenya’s Wetland Wonderlands

Wetlands, nature’s marshland symphonies, are well-noted as those ecosystems that integrate the characteristics of terrestrial and aquatic environments, that is, water, soil and vegetation. The degree to which these properties are combined exhibits spatial, temporal and wetland types. The latter accounts for the broad categories contained in the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance most notably of waterfowl habitats. More proper the Ramsar Convention, its overarching aim is to stem the continual encroachment on and loss of wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention describes wetlands as areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed 6 ms. Instructively though, this definition does not encompass permanent, deep water bodies and courses, although it includes shallow areas near the shorelines and riverbanks. Kenya acceded to the Ramsar Convention on October 5, 1990. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is designated as the convention’s implementing authority and national focal point.

Wetlands cover about 6% of the Earth’s surface area. Although the exact extent of Kenya’s wetlands is unknown, owing to the lack of a wetlands inventory, they are estimated to occupy around 3 to 4% of Kenya’s land mass although this can temporarily increase to 6% during the rainy seasons (Kenya Wetlands Forum 2012). Despite their modest geographic extent, the wetlands around the world provide a number of important ecosystem services which are indispensable to humans and biodiversity’s very survival, salubrity, and welfare.

Kenya boasts a variety of wetlands, each offering unique ecological, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Kenya’s lakes along the Rift Valley, like Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, and Lake Elementaita, have wetland areas important for resident and migratory birds. All wetlands are important for biodiversity conservation and contribute to local economies through tourism, fishing, and agriculture.

Index of Wetlands in Kenya

Baringo County - Loboi Swamp , Busia County - Yala Swamp , River Sio Siteki Swamp , Budalang'i Delta , Garissa County - Lorian Swamp , Kajiado County - Shompole Swamp, Lake Amboseli, Kiambu County - The Ondiri Swamp, Kilifi County - River Sabaki Delta , Kisumu County - Nyando (Kusa) Wetland, Machakos County - Athi River Basin, Nakuru County - Rift Valley Wetlands, Nandi County - Kingwal Swamp , Narok County - Mara River Arc, Tana River County - Tana River Delta , Taita Taveta County - Kanderi Swamp

Variations of Wetlands in Kenya

Ramsar classified wetlands in three broad categories: inland; marine and coastal; and man-made. These are then sub-divided into 42 types. Owing to Kenya’s diverse climate and topography, it’s home to 6 wetland types: riverine; lacustrine; palustrine; estuarine; marine; and human-made wetlands. Riverine wetlands occur along rivers and streams. They are common along the main watercourses, the most important of these being Athi, Ewaso Ng’iro, Nyando, Yala and Tana Rivers, although the latter is detailed under the estuarine category of wetlands.

Lacustrine wetlands occur in and around lakes and are influenced by these water bodies, whether these are fresh or saline. As lakes are situated in depressions, water is the key feature and they typically lack trees, shrub and persistent emergent. Although lacustrine wetlands are common in the Lake Victoria basin and Rift Valley region, they also occur in craters like Lakes Simbi Nyaima and Sonachi (Crater Lake), Mt. Kenya’s Lake Alice, Tyndall, Hut Tarn, and Hanging Tarn.

All five sites in Kenya that have been designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) are lakes (Nakuru, Naivasha, Bogoria, Baringo and Elementaita) all part of the Great Rift Valley system, and lacustrine wetlands by nature. Moreover, all these lakes are important bird habitats and are renowned for their large flamingo populations. As these stand, they are frequently visited by ornithologists, making them an important component of the tourist circuit. While Baringo and Naivasha are freshwater lakes, Nakuru, Bogoria and Elementaita are alkaline. These relatively shallow lakes collectively cover an area of 1,018 km2.

Palustrine wetlands comprise marshes, swamps, bogs and floodplains. As these lack flowing water and are non-tidal, a defining trait is that they are typified by persistent wetland plants such as Cyeprus papyrus. Many small palustrine wetlands in the country serve as insular habitat islands in the centre of heavily populated areas. Others serve as agricultural land such as the King’wal Swamp in Nandi County and Nyando floodplain in Kisumu County. Estuarine wetlands occur where fresh and salty water mix, to include deltas, tidal-marsh and mangroves.

Kenya’s estuarine wetlands inventory includes those in the Tana River Delta, at Mombasa, Shimo La Tewa, Kilifi, Turtle Bay as well as the islands of Lamu, Pate and Manda. Marine wetlands are those that are exposed to the waves and currents of the open ocean and as such display a high level of salinity typically exceeds 3%. Kenya’s marine wetlands is consisted of lagoons, shingle beaches, mangroves, rocky shorelines, salt marshes, mudflats, sea beds and coral reefs, with each of these exhibiting unique hydrological and topographical attributes.

While the country’s sea grass beds predominantly occur in shallow reef slopes and sandy beaches are associated with coastal areas that are dominated by terrigenous sediment but without fringing reefs, coral reefs occur further seaward, around the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) such as the Mombasa and Malindi Marine National Parks & Reserve. Kenya’s human-made wetlands comprise a number of disparate artificial structures. These include water impoundment for irrigation (Mwea, Ahero and Bunyala irrigation schemes) or hydroelectric power generation with the attendant major dams, principally of the Seven Forks Project.

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