By Standard Team

Naivasha, Kenya:  Lake Naivasha Riparian Association (LNRA) has expressed concern over submerged structures in the water body.

 As rains continue to fall heavily, the association noted that the lake ecosystem could be adversely affected by the structures. According to LNRA secretary Sarah Higgins, water levels in the lake have risen sharply. Higgins noted that as a result, structures constructed on the riparian land have been submerged in the lake.

“For years, many of those farming or putting up structures on the riparian land have refused to move out but now nature has caught up with them,” she said. The environmentalist noted that there was urgent need to address the problem before the lake’s fragile ecosystem is destroyed.

Meanwhile, farmers in Nyandarua County are counting losses following heavy rains. The farmers claimed they have incurred losses amounting to millions of shillings as floods washed their crops away.

Strong winds accompanied by storms also pulled down their green houses. Ndung’u Kinyaga, a farmer at Ziwani village within Nyandarua North District, said he has incurred losses amounting to over Sh500,000 after his tomato and cabbage farms were swept away.

Strong winds

He said his green house was pulled down by strong winds accompanied by heavy downpour, adding that fruits have started rotting. “This is a great loss to most of us who practice horticultural farming. The rains have been a disgrace,” he said.

Kinyaga, who has been practicing horticulture farming for the last two decades, said the produce has been their source of livelihood and wonders what next for him and other affected farmers.

He noted that officers from the Ministry of Agriculture were yet to visit their farms to assess the damage and called on the Government to advice accordingly.

“We want the Government to chip in and compensate us. This is our only source of livelihood,” he observed. In Isiolo County, leaders have urged the Government to step up efforts to help families displaced by River Ewaso Nyiro.

Led by Isiolo South MP Banticha Abdullahi, the leaders called on the Jubilee administration to also repair the roads.  The floods cut off road network between the towns and other smaller centres across the county because the earth roads have become impassable.

-Reports by Antony Gitonga, James Munyeki and Hassan Huka