From wetland waste to Exploding Art

 How a Kisumu craftsman is weaving a future out of weeds

Wednesday, April 2025

Fredrick Onyango showcasing his displays along the Dunga Hill Camp road.

photo credit: Emmanuel Mwendwa| Brainiacs Group.

BY. Brainiacs group 

what you need to know:

1. Frederick Onyango, inspired by his father's weaving skills, turned the invasive papyrus reeds into artistic and functional products such as baskets and furniture. His craft has not only provided him with a livelihood but has also become a source of income for the community through training and employment opportunities.

2. By promoting conservation practices, Onyango ensures sustainable harvesting of reeds and envisions expanding his workshop, training more artisans, and taking his craft to a global audience. His work showcases how environmental challenges can be transformed into creative opportunities.

On a regular day by the roadside in Kisumu’s ex-urbans, an assortment of chairs characterised by a yellow hue meets the eye. At every dawning Frederick Onyango sets camp by the beachfront, weaving  nature’s weed into beautiful art forms, a craft that has slowly turned into a community’s breadbasket.

The Dawning of an art form

Onyango first learned this art form from his father who used Papyrus reeds to weave mats. It was then that an idea hit him and he began experimenting with other items. With little knowledge and no training, he picked up a few stalks and started weaving.

 

some of the materials made by fredrick displayed along the Dunga hill camp road. 

photo by:Emmanuel Mwendwa 

“My first attempts at weaving were rough” he recalls. “The first basket I made fell apart.”

It is then that his father, a skilled weaver held his hands, showing him how to cut, dry and weave the reeds properly. Soon Onyango’s craft became steady and his designs began getting better and better.

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Natures Menace

Papyrus reeds , a stubborn invasive species has for a  long time been a  threat to fishing and marine life. Thriving in shallow nutrient waters, this species quickly spreads over the water surface blocking sunlight and depleting oxygen levels in extreme cases.

Over the years, the uncontrolled growth of this herbage in water bodies has created conditions that  overrun a once-balanced ecosystem. The growth of these reeds had previously pushed women to venture in this journey; Kisumu women weaving their way out of misery

Left to grow, papyrus colonies merge to form thick bushes of impenetrable vegetation creating a boating hazard and threatening aquatic life. It is in these bushes that Otieno and others have found a livelihood.

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A Leap of Faith

In 2020, when an economic crisis hit, Onyango, armed with a skillset passed down as part of his heritage set out to start a weaving workshop.

He started out small, weaving baskets and small household items before expanding into furniture.

Fredrick Onyango weaving a new shelf from papyrus reed. photo by Emmanuel Mwendwa

 “After making observations on how to increase my source of income, I realized that these reeds could be used to make seats.” He explains.

At his workshop, Onyango oversees the process from the harvesting of the reeds to the final products.

 The reeds are allowed to dry right out of the lake and split into thin strands which he uses for his craft.

“Each piece takes time, a single basket typically takes a day.” He explains. “ A chair can take up to three days.”

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A Community’s breadbasket

Walking in the footsteps of his father, Onyango has trained several craftsmen who work alongside him, making a livelihood from this craft.

To ensure a continuous sustenance, Onyango teaches his apprentices the importance of conservation.

“We have made it a habit to only harvest the mature stalks. We allow the young plants time to mature before we can harvest.” He states.

Fredrick and his friend in the lake removing papyrus to be used as raw materials

PHOTO by Emmanuel mwendwa. 

The secret ingredient

If you ask Onyango what motivates him to continue his craft, he will tell you it’s the vision of a great future. He looks forward to expanding his workshop, training more artisans and exploring new designs.

As of now Onyango’s craft has crossed county lines, with buyers coming from far and wide in search of his items. He looks into taking this art form  even further. “We can take this craft to the world.” He says.

If you ask Kisumu’s exurbs about Onyango on a regular day, they will tell you he is always by the roadside, where his craft started and exploded. There, always planning his next creation.

Watch the video through;

For more stories on creativity around kisumu.

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