Kenyan lake flood displaces thousands, ruins homes and schools

"The tourist boats that typically navigate Kenya's renowned Lake Naivasha have recently taken on a new role: rescuing hundreds from inundated homes. Though the lake's water level has been increasing for more than a decade with repeated flooding, residents of the modest Kihoto district are stunned by this year's unprecedented scale. It hasn't happened like this before, said resident Rose Alero."

"People are suffering, said Alero, a 51-year-old grandmother, noting that many neighbours have fallen ill. In her home, water reaches waist height, while throughout the district, toilets are overflowing. People are stuck they have nowhere to go. The devastation is widespread: hundreds of homes are completely underwater, churches are destroyed, and police stations are submerged, surrounded by floating vegetation. During one sudden water surge, children evacuated a school on improvised rafts."

"Joyce Cheche, Nakuru County's disaster risk management head, estimates 7,000 people have been displaced by the rising waters, which also impact wildlife and threaten tourism and commerce. The county has provided transport assistance and implemented health measures, Cheche said, though financial compensation has not been offered yet. Workers in the crucial flower export sector are avoiding work, fearing cholera and landslides. She also highlighted the danger of encounters with the lake's numerous hippos. We didn't see it coming, Cheche admitted."

Lake Naivasha's water has advanced about 1.5km inland, inundating the Kihoto district and submerging hundreds of homes, churches, and police stations. Water reaches waist height in many houses and toilets are overflowing across the district. Approximately 7,000 people have been displaced and children evacuated a school on improvised rafts during a sudden surge. Transport assistance and health measures have been provided, but financial compensation has not been offered. Workers in the flower export sector are avoiding work amid fears of cholera, landslides, and hippo encounters. The lake is rising 1 metre daily, a pattern seen across Rift Valley lakes linked mainly to increased rainfall driven by climate change.

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