FAMILIES DISPLACED AS RISING WATERS OF LAKE NAIVASHA TRIGGER HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

The swelling lake has flooded homes, latrines, schools, churches, and even police posts, leaving thousands of residents stranded and facing the full wrath of nature’s forces.

“Schools have closed and children are returning home to find their homes flooded, and they need urgent support to relocate to other estates,” Eunice said.

This ongoing crisis has disrupted livelihoods and uprooted entire communities around the lake area, particularly affecting vulnerable and poor families.

The Nakuru County government has stepped in to provide transport for these families to relocate to neighboring estates, but the situation remains dire.

“Over 4000 families have so far been affected, and we are offering them transport to relocate to other estates, and the situation is getting worse by the day,” Joice said.

Local leaders and former government officials, such as Peter Mbae, have urged both national and county governments to intervene decisively, calling for the crisis to be declared a national disaster.

“We are giving the national and county governments 48-hour notice to intervene over this crisis; failure to which we shall be forced to take to the streets,” he said

This is considered necessary to mobilize appropriate resources and responses to address the deepening humanitarian emergency.

Many of those displaced include workers from the numerous flower farms around the lake region.

Some residents legally own land with title deeds, even though allegations exist that parts of the affected land qualify as riparian land subject to natural lake boundaries.

The flooding in Kiotto Estate and other areas has submerged thousands of homesteads, schools, and churches, raising fears about waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria due to worsening sanitary conditions.

The government has promised relocation plans and compensation for legal landowners affected by the flooding.