Ondiri Swamp is Kenya’s only quaking bog, making it a unique ecosystem. It is a major source of Nairobi River and a catchment area for the Athi Water Services Board. It is a major habitat and breeding ground for both local and migratory birds. By conserving this swamp, the community will have made a contribution by reclaiming the swamp as an important birding area and conserving its other flora and fauna. The conservation will also ensure that the Nairobi River, which the Nairobi Metropolitan Authority is planning to clean of pollutants, will be a clean river free of pollutants. The conservation and rehabilitation of the swamp will go a long way towards conserving and enhancing the ornithological biodiversity by increasing the nesting sites and habitat for various bird species. The swamp will be able to serve better as a breeding and resting ground for migratory birds as well as local species. In order to make the effort self-sustaining, the swamp will be developed into an important birding area where local and international tourists can go for bird walks for a modest fee.
Reforestation of the swamp and community participation will also help in absorbing carbon dioxide, thus contributing to reducing global warming. I plan to establish a bamboo and indigenous forest around the swamp. The bamboo will be sourced from the World Agro-forestry Centre located in Nairobi. Bamboo is excellent because apart from providing nesting sites and habitats for birds and other fauna, the bamboo rhizomes will anchor top soils along the steep slopes and the bank along the swamp and will be very effective in controlling soil erosion. It will also be very effective in promoting soil health since it has excellent hydrological functions. It has the capacity to absorb as much as 12 tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide per hectare, a very valuable aspect to deploy against global warming. Indigenous trees will be sourced from tree nurseries run by women’s groups living around the swamp.
