Baringo County has been hit again by the fury of Mother Nature, and this time it is rising waters from Lake Baringo that have flooded homes, schools, farms, and hotels, displaced hundreds of families, and causing heavy losses.
It is reported that after continuous heavy rains for several days, the long-awaited lake burst its banks resulting in the flooding of the vast areas around its basin and cutting off easy access to the Marigat–Chemolingot road.
Such a situation has caused pupils to wade through the waters with the assistance of parents and guardians, while vehicles struggle to navigate the flooded section. Deeply rooted in history, Baringo County was a thriving hub for learning, tourism, and fishing.
However, the floodwaters have transformed it into a death trap where displaced residents say that the next danger might be wildlife such as crocodiles and hippos, which they have seen coming closer to residential areas as they look for safety from the rising waters.
The water that has filled the houses of families has forced schools in the area to close, leaving the learning process interrupted as families look for safe places to stay. Not only farmers but also hotel owners are facing hard times trying to save what is left of their businesses from the water that has entered their farmlands and business premises, threatening to wipe away years of investment.
Flooding from the lake has been a recurring phenomenon for Baringo residents. In 2012, the lake’s water levels were reported to have risen extensively leading to overwhelming destruction and loss of lives.
However, on the other hand, locals are saying that the current crisis is way worse—basically, a sign of the increasing impact of climate change. The Baringo County Government has promised to collaborate with the communities in order to adapt to the recurrent disaster.
Officials state that the main areas that will be focused on are the ones that deal with resilience measures that safeguard both lives and livelihoods from similar natural disasters in the future. Residents, at the moment, are in limbo and they are still there when the floodwaters claim what little they have.
They are not sure whether the next thing to happen might be disease outbreaks and an extremely long way to recovery.
