Calls to resettle families affected by rising waters of L. Naivasha

Nakuru County has petitioned the National Government to assist in relocating and compensating tens of families displaced by the rising waters of Lake Naivasha.

The County noted that apart from the over 5,000 families displaced by the waters, tens of land owners who had genuine title deeds had been affected and had lost property worth millions of shillings.

This came as the county came to the rescue of the affected families by donating food stuff and personal effects while calling on those living in flooded houses to relocate.

According to the County Secretary Dr Samuel Mwaura, the flooding crisis started back in 2020 and the situation had been getting worse by the year.

He said that currently tens of families had been displaced and others were living in flooded houses exposing them to waterborne disease after their latrines filled up.

“We are supporting the families with basic items and food while calling on the national government to chip in and also assist the landlords who have genuine title deeds,” he said.

Speaking after donating the foodstuff to the families, Mwaura called on those living in the flooded houses to relocate to other estates as the water levels were not coming down.

“Soon we expect the short rains and we don’t know the consequences but the county has put in place various mitigation measures to support the affected families,” he said.

Lakeview MCA Alex Mbugua noted that the county had in the last couple of months been hit by several disasters including the Mai Mahiu one adversely affecting their disaster kit.

While calling for more support from the national government, Mbugua said that most of those affected by the water rise in Kihoto estate were flower farm workers.

He noted that many of the workers due to their low wages could not afford to relocate to other estates with some landlords taking advantage of the situation to hike rent.

“The President has promised to resettle victims of the Mai Mahiu tragedy and we are asking that those landlords from Kihoto be remembered during the exercise,” he said.

On her part, the Chief Officer for Public Health Joyce Ncece said that despite the flooding of latrines and boreholes, no case of waterborne disease had been reported in the estate.

“We have supplied the affected families with water treatment drugs and also launched a deworming programme targeting all children in the community and schools,” she said.