More than 1,000 families living near Lake Naivasha face displacement as rising water levels for the third time in five years flood homes and farms.
The weatherman has warned that rainfall will persist over the next six days in parts of the Central Highlands, Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, Coast, Western, and Northwestern Kenya.
Kihoto Estate is the most affected, with dozens of homes flooded, forcing some families to relocate to neighbouring areas.
There are growing fears of a disease outbreak after latrines and boreholes in the estate, home to many flower farm workers, were submerged in recent weeks
Three years ago, the lake flooded, displacing half of the estate residents before they returned after the water levels had receded.
According to one of the affected residents Richard Mwathi, the water levels were rising by the day flooding schools and homes.
Mwathi noted that the affected families were in a difficult situation, with no funds to relocate to other estates.
“Many families are living in flooded houses as they cannot relocate elsewhere due to the harsh economic times,” he said.
While calling on the Nakuru county government to assist, he expressed the residents’ fears of a disease outbreak like cholera and malaria.
This was echoed by another resident Alice Kibe who said that this was the third time that the estate was flooding as water levels in the lake rose.
She said that the rise in water levels had seen latrines and nearby boreholes flood raising fears of drinking contaminated water.
“The most affected are land owners who used loans to construct the houses, and they have nowhere to go due to the crisis,” she said.
She added that small-scale farming around the lake had also been disrupted due to flooding, and students were facing difficulties getting to school. Elder James Muchiri noted that the only lasting solution would be the construction of dykes around the lake to contain the rising waters.
“Kihoto is the most affected estate where families have been displaced and property worth millions either damaged or vandalised,” he said.
Paul Gitau also backed the calls for the construction of dykes, noting that similar measures had been implemented in other parts of the lake affected by rising water levels.
Speaking by phone, Nakuru Chief Officer for Public Health Joyce Ncece said they had issued a relocation warning to residents living near the lake.
“This is not the first time that water levels have risen, but those affected relocate and come back when the levels recede,” she said.
