The flooding of estates, hotels and farms around Lake Naivasha has led to massive pollution of the water body, raising fears of an environmental crisis in the coming days.
Raw sewage from the estates and hotels, coupled with fertilisers, is being washed into the lake on a daily basis even as water levels continue to rise.
The most affected areas are around Kihoto, Karagita landing beach and North Lake, which hosts dozens of small-scale farms and hotels.
Meanwhile, the number of people displaced by the rising water has surpassed 4,000, forcing them to seek alternative housing.
According to Dan Karanja Nyoro, chairman of the Lake Naivasha Basin Landscape Association (LANABLA), effluents from the estates and farms are finding their way back into the lake.
He noted that in Kihoto, numerous latrines had flooded, with raw sewage being washed into the main lake, raising fears of contamination.
“The rising water levels have not only flooded estates but also polluted the lake, and this could adversely affect the ecosystem in the future,” he said.
Speaking during a tour of the lake, he added that the effects of the ongoing pollution had already been felt, with fish catches dropping sharply since the start of the year.
“Most of the small-scale farms around the lake have been flooded, with chemical residue washed into the water, thus threatening fish stocks,” he said.
Grace Nyambura, who represents the Beach Management Units (BMUs), noted that pollution and poor agricultural practices had already impacted fish catches.
She said the southern part of the lake, where most hotels, farms and informal settlements are located, no longer had any fish.
“Fishermen have now relocated to North Lake, as the South and Central parts are polluted by hotels and farms and no fishing is taking place there,” she said.
Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Josiah Odongo said they were closely monitoring the situation as more families continued to be affected by the floods.
He explained that the government had issued a notice to the families to relocate last month, but they had defied it, adding that the majority of those affected were living on riparian land.
“This is nature fighting back, as the same area flooded last year but the families returned after water levels dropped,” he said.
