The ongoing rehabilitation of Africa's second-largest oxbow lake—Lake Kanyaboli—has triggered a surge in economic activity.
Over the years, the lake, which is nestled in Siaya county, has served as a vital lifeline for the local community.
However, years of neglect have placed the water body under severe pressure. Pollution, water diversion, wetland encroachment and overfishing have threatened the lake’s ability to sustain the communities dependent on it.
These threats are now being reversed one step at a time, thanks to a partnership between local communities and the Tree Adoption Foundation (TAF).
Today, the community says it has started reaping the rewards. Newly installed solar lights now allow residents to conduct their fish trade smoothly during night hours.
Residents are upbeat the ongoing restoration will open up further opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
Gangu Nyalaji village elder Eunia Atieno said the rehabilitation has given a new lease of life to local fisherfolk.
“The ongoing rehabilitation has given a new face to the area. The project has created economic activities for the people living here,” Atieno said.
Atieno said pit latrines have been renovated, significantly improving sanitation. She said Gangu beach has not only been cleared, but high-intensity solar street lights have also been installed.
Violet Odhiambo, a fish trader, said several initiatives implemented by TAF have boosted local earnings.
Odhiambo said 15 fish traders have recorded an increase in income following the interventions.
“Through the ongoing interventions, I have been promised funding to expand my business,” she said.
On September 12, the TAF team, led by founder and CEO Fanuel Onyango, handed over a renovated fish banda (shelter) at Gangu beach.
As part of the intervention, the team installed additional high-intensity security lighting to improve visibility and safety around the beach, particularly for fishermen and traders operating during early morning and evening hours.
The milestone forms part of a broader Lake Kanyaboli rehabilitation programme focused on improving community infrastructure, supporting livelihoods, enhancing safety, restoring the environment and creating a sustainable future for surrounding villages.
“Our work at Gangu Beach is continuing, with more interventions planned around clean water, sanitation, renewable energy, environmental restoration, community facilities, and livelihood support," Onyango said.
"At Tree Adoption Foundation, we remain committed to delivering practical, community-centred solutions that create visible and lasting impact.”
Lake Kanyaboli has long been the heartbeat of surrounding communities, providing food, income and a lifeline for residents of Gangu Ninga, Gangu Nyalaji, Kanyaboli, Kadenge, Ndai, Hawinga and Unyolo.
The lake has also supported agricultural irrigation at Dominion Farms and Lake Agro Limited, making it an indispensable economic resource in the region.
Onyango said restoration efforts will not only restore the lake's former glory, but also unlock its full potential.
He said the organisation is working alongside local communities to reclaim the natural resource and transform it into a thriving environmental and economic asset.
"We are in the process of reclaiming the lake as it holds immense potential," Onyango said.
Since its establishment in 2024, TAF has implemented community-driven reforestation and climate adaptation programmes across Kenya.
As part of the Lake Kanyaboli project, the foundation plans to plant trees to curb soil erosion and rehabilitate the shoreline environment.
"We will plant trees that we believe are going to bring a big change to the area by controlling soil erosion," Onyango said.
Lake Kanyaboli is Kenya's largest oxbow lake and Africa's second-largest, formed naturally when the Yala River changed its course, leaving behind a unique U-shaped water body.
Onyango said the foundation targeted the lake because it had been overlooked despite its ecological and economic importance.
"Lake Kanyaboli has been neglected for so long, yet it is the second-largest oxbow lake in Africa," he said, adding the restoration will help place the lake on the global map while ensuring surrounding communities benefit directly from its resources.
The foundation has begun upgrading infrastructure around the lake and plans to provide clean water to local households, as well as support children driven into fishing by poverty.
"We decided as a foundation to source resources to establish a facility where women, children, men, and youth can access clean water," Onyango said.
He said the foundation aims to help affected children return to school in collaboration with nearby learning institutions.
Women living around the lake will also receive support through table-banking initiatives and financial literacy training to help them diversify their income sources beyond fish trading.
Onyango emphasised that environmental conservation must go hand in hand with community empowerment, education, public health, and sustainable livelihoods.
He believes the lake holds significant eco-tourism potential, making its restoration the foundation's flagship project.
Residents will be involved through community tree nurseries that will supply seedlings for the restoration effort while generating household income.
Onyango said TAF has so far planted about 3.2 million trees across Kenya.
Gangu Kanyaboli beach chairperson Martin Onyolo welcomed the initiative, saying the restoration programme would boost economic activity and position the area as a prime tourism destination.
"The community has welcomed the ongoing initiatives as they will boost economic activities in the area," he said.
For the communities around Lake Kanyaboli, restoring the lake is more than just an environmental campaign—it is about safeguarding a vital source of survival that has sustained generations.
Instant analysis
The rehabilitation of Lake Kanyaboli demonstrates how community-led environmental conservation directly drives local economic recovery. By combining basic infrastructure—such as solar lighting and sanitation—with reforestation, the Tree Adoption Foundation’s model proves that ecological restoration succeeds when aligned with immediate livelihood improvements and grassroots empowerment in rural Siaya.
