A mounting humanitarian crisis is unfolding around the shores of Lake Naivasha in Nakuru County, where rapidly rising water levels are forcing thousands of residents from their homes and threatening livelihoods across the region.
According to disaster‑management officials, more than 4,000 families have been displaced so far by the floodwaters surrounding Lake Naivasha.
One recent petition filed on behalf of affected residents cites “over 5,000 people” displaced in the estate of Kihoto Estate alone. Those displaced include tenants, landlords and workers many from the region’s flower‑farm industry who say they are now homeless, financially vulnerable and at risk from disease and wildlife encroachment.
The flooding is most acute in Kihoto Estate, a low‑lying settlement adjacent to the lake where homes, latrines and infrastructure have been submerged. In Karagita, small‑scale farms, hotels and informal settlement zones along the northern shore are facing both flooding and pollution threats. Riparian land near flower farms: Workers report their homes are now under water and the surrounding farms are being disrupted by the water encroachment and rising lake levels.
Officials and residents attribute the crisis to a combination of factors like rising lake levels due to heavy rainfall over recent months and years, encroachment into riparian zones and inadequate buffers between homes/farms and the lake shore.
Affected residents fear potential environmental and health risks such as flooded latrines, waterborne diseases, and wildlife (including hippos) entering flooded residential zones.
The affected residents and local leaders are demanding a stronger response and a petition has been filed seeking a declaration of the crisis as a national disaster, which would unlock greater resources and coordination from the national government.
The county government of Nakuru has begun offering transport to vulnerable families to relocate to safer estates. Residents are also calling for compensation, permanent relocation to safer land, and a multi‑agency task force to address long‑term mitigation.
With thousands displaced, many flower‑farm workers may lose not just shelter but employment and community support structures. Flooded latrines and infrastructure raise the risk of waterborne illnesses and disease outbreaks.
The lake’s rising waters are causing pollution, loss of fish stocks, and ecological disruption in a zone designated for its natural value.
The petition argues that state inaction violates residents’ constitutional rights to housing, dignity, and a healthy environment.
Residents affected demand rapid relocation of families from the most vulnerable zones (especially Kihoto and low‑lying riparian settlements), provision of shelter, sanitation, clean water and health services for displaced persons, clear communication from authorities on flood risk and enforcement of relocation orders for those in high‑risk zones andd longer‑term planning, buffering riparian zones, revising land‑use near the lake, and implementing disaster‑risk mitigation strategies.
The rising waters of Lake Naivasha are no longer a looming threat but a full‑scale humanitarian and environmental challenge. With thousands already displaced and more at risk, the situation demands urgent coordinated action from county and national authorities. The coming days will reveal whether the crisis is met with decisive intervention or further escalation.