Lake Nakuru flood victims reject CS Joho’s directive, demand compensation

Victims of Lake Nakuru flooding have come forward to oppose the directive by Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Ali Hassan Joho regarding fishing at the lake.

The victims who were displaced them from their homes by the flooding lake Nakuru in 2021 accused the CS of opening up the lake for fishing without proper guidelines while ignoring the residents push for the compensation of victims of the lake flooding

Ann* not her real name notes that she has been fishing at the lake since it swelled up nearly six years ago.

For her fishing in the lake is not her dream. She notes if the government had compensated them their land, they would have relocated to other regions to rebuild their life.

“This lake came to our land. As a group we had purchased two hectares of land which is all submerged in water. We had homes and businesses that went down with this flooding. How then does the government expect us to move forward? Relocating us should be their first agenda not a conversation on supporting fishing,” Ann noted.

 Jane* a fisherwoman at the lake notes that communities around the lake understand very well that fishing in the lake is illegal.

She noted that women are the most affected when their son’s and husbands who go out to fish and get arrested as they are forced to step in as breadwinners forcing them to get into the lake for fishing.

“With all those people arrested and imprisoned it is reckless of a CS to come and encourage people to go into a protected area and fish. We have recovered bodies in the lake and buried our children because they illegally accessed the lake.,” Jane says

She further notes that many families affected by flooding lake are not the direct beneficiaries of the fishing activities at the lake.

“We have foreigners from Burundi, Uganda, and people from other fishing counties. We do not want to fish here our wish would be to be compensated and leave this environment,” Jane noted, adding that it is not a dignified area to work and raise her children.

Echoing the resident’s sentiments, Barut area chief Joseph Oyawa noted that the individuals whose homes were submerged have been awaiting compensation for years and do not represent those in the Lake currently fishing.

“265 households were affected by the flooding of the lake. These are the people waiting for the government to compensate them. Ideally most of the flood victims were farmers and most have moved out of this area. Those in the lakes are Rwanda and Uganda nationals and more people from Naivasha and Western Kenya whose main source of livelihood was fishing. They are the majority in this lake,” he noted.

The area chief noted that compensation of the affected families would go a long way as most of them are struggling, depending on churches for food and support to pay rent to areas they relocated to. 

In March 2026 CS Joho while meeting Muslim women in the county announced plans by the national government to empower fishing communities in Nakuru County through training, provision of rescue boats, and improved infrastructure in the lakes as part of efforts to strengthen the blue economy.

Joho said the government would work with maritime institutions to equip local fishermen and youth with the necessary skills to operate safely and professionally as well as procure rescue facilities and boats for the six lakes within Nakuru county to enhance safety for fishermen operating in the waters.

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