Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja is warning of a humanitarian crisis in an informal settlement in Naivasha after Lake Naivasha burst its banks flooding latrines and boreholes.
The senator expressed fears of a disease outbreak in Kihoto estate as water levels continued to rise, displacing over 5,000 people in the last two months.
In the last two months, water levels in the lake have risen sharply flooding nearby farms, hotels and homes with Kihoto estate being the most affected.
Karanja said scores of students have in the period skipped classes after several schools and mainly ECD centres, were flooded.
She termed the situation worrying with supply of clean water cut off, latrines flooded and tens of boreholes filled up by the lake’s water.
“The situation in Kihoto could get out of hand if no fast action is taken with latrines and boreholes flooded raising fears of a disease outbreak,” she said.
The senator said she would raise the issue with the national government with a view of having the affected families relocated to higher grounds or estates.
Karanja said majority of those affected were land owners who had title deeds and had invested in rental houses before the disaster struck.
“A parliamentary committee visited this estate some years back and proposed that the affected families be resettled elsewhere, I shall follow up on this,” she said.
The senator called on the county government to intervene and use funds set aside for disaster management to support the affected families, majority of whom were flower farm workers.
This came as Nakuru county government moved in to treat water used in the estate while deworming hundreds of children.
Public Health chief officer Joyce Ncece said no disease outbreak had been reported in the estate due to mitigation measures put in place by the county.
She said tens of boreholes that had been contaminated had been treated by officers from the department who were also deworming students at schools and household levels.
“The situation in Kihoto is worrying but we have put in place the necessary measures and so far, we don’t have any outbreak but we are keenly monitoring the situation,” she said.