Lake Baringo flood victims beg for help

The Great Deluge has devastated Lake Baringo residents and they are begging for help.

"This is the worst disaster in the lake since time immemorial," Baringo Governor Stanley Kiptis said, appealing for the national government and international agencies to provide aid.

As the water levels keep rising in Lake Baringo owing to heavy rains, more than 30,000 displaced residents are begging for aid - food, utensils, tents, clothing, blankets, drugs, mosquito nets and other assistance.

So far, the lake has flooded three to seven kilometres beyond its shores. Torrential rains have been pounding the area since last month.

Thousands of families, at least 30,000 people have been displaced in Loruk, Ng’enyin, Komolion, Sintaan, Sandai, Lorobil, Ng’ambo, Ilng’arua, Loboi, Leswa, Noosukro and Lebunyaki and on some islands.

Some tourist hotels, schools, dispensaries, churches, trading centres and other structures have been virtually submerged.

Many roads are impassable, crops have been destroyed.

“My family and I are lucky to be alive. We woke up this morning only find the lake water at the door step” Ng’ambo resident Benjamin Ole Saningo said on Tuesday.

Ole’ Saningo said he organised village youths to disassemble houses, many with thatched roofs, and relocate them to higher ground.

Rivers feeding Lake Baringo have overflowed their banks.

On Monday, Wesley Cheptumo at Loruk said he watched his iron-sheet house sink under the water, adding, “The situation gets worse every day."

HUMANITARIAN APPEAL

On Tuesday, Ilchamus MCA Joseph ole Barsalach appealed to the government and well-wishers to swiftly bring in food and supplies.

“Residents are in dire need of food,  tents, clothing, drugs, utensils and mosquito nets,” Barsalach sai.

The most vulnerable victims are children, the elderly and pregnant women.

He said frequent earthquakes and tremors in the lake also endanger residents.

“Research scientists should urgently inspect the area to determine the cause of the earthquakes and the scary ground fissures on the islands," Barsalach said.

The swollen lake borders Baringo North, Tiaty and Baringo subcounties. It's the second largest lake in the Great Rift Valley after Lake Turkana.

Last week, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa visited the lake and attributed the rising water levels to climate change and global warming, as well as heavy rains since late last month.

He urged families whose houses were flooded and those in danger to wiftly move to higher ground.

“We cannot blame anybody for the situation, it all happened naturally, but we need humanitarian aid," Barsalach said.

He was joined by Saimo-Soi MCA Richard Cheserem, Nixon Lemlem (Marigat) and Maria Losile (Loyamorok).

The floods have almost cut off the Loruk-Marigat main highway connecting Kapedo, Turkana and Sudan.

Loruk Trading Centre, secondary and primary schools, Loruk and Kampi ya Samaki dispensaries are virtually submerged.

Hundreds of patients are stranded as they have had to access health services in Marigat town, 30 kilometres away.

“We don’t have anywhere to take our children when schools reopen next year,” resident Harun Cheburet said.

Water Rescue and Safety International chairman Joshua Chepsergon said the disaster is spiralling out of hand.

He said attractive tourist hotels such as the Soi Safari Lodge, Lake Breeze, Desert Rose Camp and Block Hotel were already flooded, losing millions of shillings in revenue. 

Chepsergon said the virtually destroyed premises include Kampi ya Samaki, fish factories, childcare centres, Department of Fisheries offices and the Anglican Church of Kenya.

RIVERS OVERFLOW

The rivers Perkerra and El-Molo that feed the lake have also overflowed, changed their courses and worsened the flooding.

The flooding is also worsened by the invasive Mathenge weed (prosopis juliflora) that grows densely along the river.

“We are trying but as a county we cannot manage to contain this enormous situation alone, we need financial and technical support from partners,” Governor Kiptis said.

He was backed by Tiaty MP William Kamket, MPs  William Cheptumo of Baringo North and Charles Kamurenof Baringo South. 

“We lost one elderly woman to the floods over the weekend and we don't want these ugly deaths to happen again," Kamket said.

The MPs appealed for assistance, calling it a matter of live and death.

"The water levels are overwhelming in Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria and River Perkera,” Kamuren said. The flooded rivers are changing their course, flooding homes, farms, roads, bridges, medical facilities, stores, churches and other structures.

(Edited by V. Graham)