Lake Kenyatta

{{Short description|Kenyan physical feature}}

{{EngvarB|date=April 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Lake Kenyatta

| other_name = Lake Mukunganya

| image =

| caption =

| coords = {{coord|02|24|45|S|40|40|53|E|type:waterbody_scale:1500000|display=inline,title}}

| lake_type = Fresh water

| inflow =

| outflow = Evaporation

| catchment =

| basin_countries = Kenya

| length = {{convert|12|km|mi|0}}

| width =

| area =

| depth =

| max-depth =

| volume =

| residence_time =

| salinity =

| shore =

| elevation = {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}}

| frozen =

| islands =

| cities = Mpeketoni

| pushpin_map = Kenya#Africa

| pushpin_label_position =

| pushpin_map_alt = Location of Lake Kenyatta in Kenya.

| pushpin_map_caption =

| website =

| reference =

}}

Lake Kenyatta, also Lake Mukunganya, is a lake in Lamu County, in southeastern Kenya.

Location

The lake is located in Lamu County, approximately {{convert|2.5|km|0}},{{cite web|access-date=9 April 2016|date=9 April 2016|last=GFC

|url=http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Kenya_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Mpeketoni%2C%20Lamu%2C%20Kenya&toplace=Lake%20Mukunganya%2C%20Lamu%2C%20Kenya%2C&dt1=ChIJ_xuU3pL-FhgRxcrtFhFTOzU&dt2=ChIJiQ6Y6Cv5FhgRKfbCBgRLiLU| title=Distance between Mpeketoni, Lamu, Kenya and Lake Mukunganya, Lamu, Kenya| publisher=Globefeed.com (GFC)}} southwest of the town of Mpeketoni. (est. pop. 50,000 in 2015).{{cite web|access-date=9 April 2016|url=http://allbajuni.com/2015/06/bajuni-modern-history-mpeketoni-history-of-the-settlement/|title=Bajuni Modern History: Mpeketoni - The History of the Settlement|date=9 April 2016|last=Kayomani|publisher=Allbajuni.com|archive-date=23 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423015030/http://allbajuni.com/2015/06/bajuni-modern-history-mpeketoni-history-of-the-settlement/|url-status=dead}} This is approximately {{convert|50|km|0}}, by road, southwest of the port city of Lamu.{{cite web|publisher=Globefeed.com (GFC) |last=GFC

|url=http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Kenya_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Lake%20Mukunganya%2C%20Lamu%2C%20Kenya&toplace=Kikoni%20Landing%20Site%2C%20C112%2C%20Lamu%2C%20Kenya%2C&dt1=ChIJiQ6Y6Cv5FhgRKfbCBgRLiLU&dt2=ChIJgSNu-iQaFxgR0BQ2jyapuTQ |title=Distance between Lake Mukunganya, Lamu, Kenya and Kikoni Landing Site, C112, Lamu, Kenya|access-date=9 April 2016 |date=9 April 2016}} The coordinates of the lake are: 2°24'45.0"S, 40°40'53.0"E (Latitude:-2.412494; Longitude:40.681396).{{google maps

|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/2%C2%B024'45.0%22S+40%C2%B040'53.0%22E/@-2.4124886,40.6792127,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0|title=Location of Lake Kenyatta (Lake Mukunganya), Lamu County, Kenya|accessdate=9 April 2016}}

Fauna

The lake supports herds of hippopotami, zebra, monkeys, waterbuck, buffalo and warthog. Also, a large number of wild birds are found here.

Silting

Due to encroachment from the rapidly increasing population in Mpeketoni, the lake is shrinking as a result of (a) silting (b) humans invading its wetlands (c) drilling of many boreholes in the catchment area and (d) invasion by large herds of domestic cattle.{{cite web

|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201501091401.html |title=Kenya: Lake Kenyatta in Mpeketoni Is Dying, Experts Warn |date=9 January 2015

|access-date=9 April 2016 | first=Cheti|last= Praxides |location=Nairobi | newspaper=The Star (Kenya) via AllAfrica.com}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|30em}}