Nyando residents in Kisumu county are puzzled about an unstoppable parasitic weed that is destroying the hedges and trees.
The dodder weed (Cascuta spps) is rather new in the area and is aggressively attacking green fences and trees.
The residents are perplexed at how the seemingly rootless plant attaches itself, engulfs and then kills the host plant. The weed has also baffled them at how it spreads so fast, jumping from one host to another which is not necessarily close to it.
In Nyando, the weed has set upon hedges of several homesteads and schools which it attacks viciously and mercilessly. Most of the fences it attacks are left bare. The weed has sent panic among residents who feel helpless to contain its spread.
"It is a real menace as it completely destroys the fence and even kills certain tree species. Our homesteads are soon remaining open and even some of our treasured trees are getting destroyed," some residents from Kochogo village said.
Because of the weed's vicious attack on certain species, some people have resorted to building dead fences like the barbed wire and wooden fences.
However, these are expensive and lacks the beauty of a green fence.
The weed's most preferred host plant is the 'chamama' or 'achak' as the locals call it. Interestingly, 'chamama' is the dominant plant in the area and mostly used as a hedge. The locals have baptised the plant with several funny names. For instance, in Tura village it is referred to as 'Ebola' because of the difficulty to control its spread. In the neighbouring Kobong'o village they've baptised it 'miguna miguna'.
The residents are afraid that the weed may soon get into the farms and destroy crops. They are asking the county's environmental department and other environmental conservation organisations to help in controlling and eradicating the weed.