Heavy rains have once again turned Lake Naivasha and the Lower Nzoia Irrigation canal into sources of destruction, displacing close to 1,000 families in the past week.
In Naivasha’s Kihoto estate, the rising lake has swallowed homes, schools, and churches, leaving residents wading through water where streets once stood. For many families, this is the second or third time they are watching their lives sink beneath the floodwaters.
The government had warned weeks earlier of surging water levels and urged residents to move to safer ground. But for flower farm workers and other low-income families who call Kihoto home, relocation was never that simple.
Now, the fears go beyond property loss. Boreholes and pit latrines have been submerged, raising the risk of waterborne diseases in a community already stretched thin. Local leaders say the numbers of those affected could rise further if rains persist.
For residents, the rising waters are not just a seasonal inconvenience they are a reminder of the fragile balance between survival and disaster in flood-prone areas.
