Naivasha, Kenya – The floodwaters have returned to Lake Naivasha, and with them, a familiar sense of despair.
For the third time in five years, rising lake levels have pushed into the Kihoto Estate in Naivasha, forcing dozens of families to flee their homes and leaving many more stranded in waterlogged houses. The flooding has already affected over 1,000 households, and weather officials warn the worst may not be over.
“We are staring at disaster,” said Richard Mwathi, a long-time resident of the estate. “Every day, the water creeps closer. Schools, homes, and toilets are going under.”
The Kenya Meteorological Department has forecast continued rainfall across much of the country including the Rift Valley for the next six days. The downpour is likely to worsen the situation in low-lying areas near the lake, which has seen erratic fluctuations in recent years, a pattern that experts link to climate change and poor land-use planning.
In Kihoto, home to many workers from the region’s vast flower farms, the water has already submerged boreholes and latrines. Residents are now warning of an impending public health crisis.
“Latrines are full. Boreholes are flooded. It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing cases of cholera and malaria,” said Alice Kibe, whose home is among those swamped.
Kibe noted that many affected families have nowhere else to go. “People took loans to build these homes. Now the water has taken them, and they’re left with nothing,” she said.
The economic toll is mounting. Small-scale farmers who rely on the fertile land around the lake have seen crops destroyed. Children are missing school. Entire households have been uprooted or left isolated.
“We’re trapped,” said James Muchiri, an elder in the community. “We’ve talked, pleaded, cried but nothing changes. The only real solution is to build dykes to keep the water out.”
That call is growing louder. Several residents have urged the county and national governments to construct protective barriers similar to those in place around parts of Lake Victoria. “It’s been done elsewhere,” said Paul Gitau, a business owner in Naivasha. “Why not here?”
Local officials, however, say they’ve warned residents time and again to stay away from the lake’s edge.
“This isn’t the first time,” said Nakuru County’s Chief Officer for Public Health, Joyce Ncece. “We’ve issued relocation notices. But people leave, and then come back when the water drops.”
Still, residents say the lack of long-term planning is what keeps bringing them back to the same misery.
“There’s no proper relocation strategy,” Mwathi said. “We’re told to move, but move where? With what money?”
The swelling of Lake Naivasha has become an increasingly frequent event, with the 2020 floods still fresh in memory. Then, too, hundreds were forced to flee. Experts say a combination of higher rainfall, reduced forest cover, and increased human activity around the lake may be contributing to the changes in water levels.
Back in Kihoto, families are piling furniture onto higher ground, propping beds on bricks, and keeping their children indoors. Some have erected makeshift barriers. Others pray the rain stops soon.
But with clouds gathering over the Rift Valley and forecasts grim, the floodwaters and the questions continue to rise.
