Naivasha residents count losses as rising lake waters displace thousands

The situation, which has worsened over the last few months, has caused a humanitarian crisis and fears of an outbreak of waterborne diseases. 

Citizen TV visited Kihoto Estate to highlight the plight of some of the affected families in Lakeview Ward, which is home to over 20,000 people, and found a beehive of activity, with residents forced to move out of their houses due to floods caused by the rising waters of Lake Naivasha.

Where Cecilia Wanjiru’s family home once stood is now an unsanitary scene of dirty water and solid waste scattered everywhere, and she is desperate.

“Tumeshtuka sana, hatujawai ona hii miaka yote. Mawazo yangu sijui tunatoka hapa twende wapi juu tunajua hapa ndio nyumbani,” said Cecilia.

Cecilia lacks words to explain her current situation, but the pain in her eyes reflects the depth of her loss. She remembers the night when the warning of imminent danger came, forcing her to run with her children to a safer place.

“Maji ilianza kujaza hapa nje halafu tukaona ni kama itaiisha, tukakaa. Kuamka tukapata maji yamejaa ndani. Tuna msichana anaenda kufanya Form Four, tukajua hatakuwa anapitia kwa maji, ndio ikabidi tutafute nyumba,” she lamented.

The option to run for safety has, however, proven expensive for most residents — a majority being workers at the nearby flower farms earning meagre salaries.

At Phase 1 of Kihoto Estate, which is the worst hit by the unforgiving waters, Hamisi Ondieki was among the handful who were left behind. 

He could not afford to move his family, but on this day, he has no option — the situation has turned from bad to worse.

“Mimi na familia tunakaa hapo kwa sababu hatuna means ya kwenda mahali. Ni kuwekelea mawe kwa kitanda tupate mahali pa kulala. Kupika lazima tuweke jiko juu ya mawe ndio tupike chakula watoto wakule walale. Hata watoto hawaoni jua,” Ondieki noted.

He has no clear plan on where to go from here.

“Nikiangalia mtoto, nirudi niangalie bibi, hata kula sikuli. Mtoto akikuangalia na akikuongelesha ni machozi,” he stated.

His dilemma is shared by several families here. Many have been left at the mercy of selfish landlords taking advantage of the increasing demand for housing.

“There is a shortage of houses in Naivasha. At the same time, rent has been hiked. You find that some landlords have tripled the rent around this area. It is so difficult. I have people still stuck within this water,” Lakeview Ward MCA Alex Mbugua stated.

Another resident at Kihoto Lewis Sagini added, “Mimi mwenyewe sijapata nyumba, na hata nikitaka ile pesa elfu sita sitapata kulingana na mshahara napata. Iyo ni nusu ya salary yangu.”

Patrick Muswanyi, who owns a plot here, says he is at a loss and uncertain about the future of his only source of livelihood.

“Nilikua na tenants ishirini wote wamehama. Nilikuwa na loan kwa bank sasa nashindwa. Wakati umefika nafaa kupeleka ile kiwango tuliyokubaliana, tumeangamia,” Muswanyi explained.

The landowners have refuted claims of illegally acquiring titles on riparian land — the same land that hosts a police station, schools, and other essential government facilities.

“Ata nashtuka. Kama ingekuwa riparian, hii title hatungepewa, labda tungepewa lease ama nini, lakini title niko nayo. Narudi kuambiwa ni riparian sasa nashindwa nitafanya nini. I feel that they were duped by the government because they have genuine title deeds, and my appeal is for the government to compensate the landowners of this area,” said a resident.

Three-quarters of the residential areas have been submerged, affecting more than 4,000 people. The Nakuru County Government has provided trucks to evacuate those who have found alternative shelter. Many families are still stuck further down near the lake, with boats the only means to access and relocate them.

“The biggest challenge is those people who are a kilometre away from here. They are stuck there, they have no resources to move, and they have children as young as six months,” Nakuru Disaster Chief Officer Joyce Cheche noted.

Nakuru Public Service Management & Disaster Management CEC Ambrose Ngare added, “We have been camping here for the last two weeks, all trying to address the situation of this water so that the people’s welfare can be taken care of.”

With flooded latrines and the spread of raw sewage, there is fear of an outbreak of waterborne diseases, with children being most at risk.

Residents are calling for reinforcement from the national government to address the developing humanitarian crisis.