Concern as rivers flowing into Lake Naivasha dry up

Stakeholders have expressed concerns over the drying up of some rivers and streams that flow into Lake Naivasha.

They said the ongoing drought and illegal abstraction has left nearly all the rivers dry. The situation could get worse in the coming weeks, they say.

The Lake Naivasha Water Resource Users Association has indicated that the most affected are rivers Malewa and Turasha, whose levels have gone down, while rivers Karati, Gilgil and several streams have dried up.

LANAWRUA chairman Enock Kiminta said on Tuesday the drop in water levels has been caused by harsh weather conditions.

He said farmers in the catchment area have made the situation worse by excess abstraction of water.

“At the moment the farmers in the catchment area are using the water for overhead irrigation and this is very dangerous,” Kiminta warned.

He said if unchecked, the abstraction could in the coming days affect water levels in Lake Naivasha and the massive investment in flower farms.

Kiminta blamed failure to enforce the law for the illegal abstraction, adding that government agencies mandated to undertake this faced financial and capacity challenges.

“Currently, water levels in the lake are safe but if the illegal abstraction and the drought continue, this will have adverse effects on the lake’s level,” he said.

Friends of Lake Naivasha chairman Francis Muthui said though parts of the catchment were recording minimal rainfall, water levels in the lake were dropping daily due to the harsh weather conditions.

“In the last three months water levels around the lake have dropped slightly and this could continue if the weather pattern does not change,” he said.

Muthui said landowners whose structures were affected by floods last year have started to return.

“We have seen landlords and farm owners in Kihoto estate return to their premises with the drop in water levels. We wonder what will happen if the water levels rise again,” he said.