• Last week, two men drowned in Karagita and Kasarani while illegally fishing.
• 'Foot fishermen' step into the lake to cast nets but slip into old water trenches dug eas ago by flower farmers, now covered by water and hyacinth.
The number of ‘foot fishermen’ who have drowned in Lake Naivasha in the last two weeks hit three after another one died on Thursday.
The man slipped into a water tunnel — a trough dug by flower farms years ago to collect water. They have turned into killing spots.
Stakeholders expressed alarm over the rising cases of drowning.
Last week, two men drowned in Karagita and Kasarani while illegally fishing in the lake which has seen an upsurge in illegal fishing.
David Kilo from the Lake Naivasha Boat Owners Association said channels dug by flower farms years ago to collect water had turned into killing spots. They are now invisible, covered by water and hyacinth.
He said more than 70 per cent of the deaths reported in the lake resulted from victims slipping in the channels covered by water.
“In the latest case, the fisherman slipped into the muddy channel that is covered by water and hyacinth weed and drowned,” he said.
Kilo said it was urgent to address the issue of increasing foot-fishermen' who enter the lack to cast their nets.
“The majority of those who have died were illegal fishermen who do not observe safety measures,” he said.
Naivasha OCPD Samuel Waweru said the body had been taken to the mortuary.
“Last week we had two cases of drowning and all involved men who have been illegally fishing,” he said.
Meanwhile, a five-year-old boy drowned in Magumu in Kinangop after he was swept away by flash floods while playing with his friends.
Heavy rains that have been pounding the region for the last week, flooding rivers and dams.
Elder James Kairu said the body of the minor was recovered a kilometre away from where he had been playing.
Edited by R.Wamochie