Troubled waters: The devastating view of Mwariki through my eyes
Bret Sanya, Mtaa Wangu reporter.
As we walked through Mwariki area, one could still feel the pain, anguish and desperation left behind the collapsed walls, submerged houses and the large parcel of land that lays bare looking like a scene from a World War 2 movie.
For most people who come from other estates further from Lake Nakuru, you may not be able to understand the destruction that the flooded lake left in its wake three years ago.
So let me try and paint a picture for you.
Imagine you are living peacefully in your house near the shores of a lake counting yourself lucky as being one of the people with a breathtaking view, knowing that this is not just a house; this is my home for life.
Then one day you wake up and a quarter of your house is submerged in water while some of your household items are floating.
Upon further investigation, you realize the cause of this flood in your house was caused by the lake that you once counted as a blessing.
At that point hauna mbele wala nyuma and you quickly have to move out carrying only what you can to safer grounds.
Also Read: Troubled waters: Infertile soils, STIs and waterborne diseases haunt residents of Mwariki
For many of the residents we talked to, they were still in a state of shock.
The large parcel of land where houses stood has now turned to a grazing field. The air is filled with the deafening sound of seagulls and other birds and the stench of lake water, similar to that of a rotten egg.
From the horizon, you can see the numerous trees that have withered as they barely stand submerged in the water, painting the picture of hopelessness, misery and torment.
It was hard for my colleagues and I to convince the residents to talk to us as they are still reeling from the pain that only a person who has lost their home can understand.
They were frustrated saying that journalists have been interviewing them repeatedly but despite sharing their tribulations, it has never had any impact.
Now added to the list of the many journalists who have covered this story, all I can hope is that our series does what many have tried and failed.
That it reaches the necessary authorities and prompts them to act and come to the rescue of these residents.