400 traders face eviction from flooded beach

Traders around Karagita beach in Naivasha conduct their business where water levels have risen sharply following flooding.

The Nakuru County Government plans to evict fishermen and fish mongers from the Lake Naivasha central landing beach, which was declared a health hazard due to poor sanitation.

The 400 people targeted in the exercise have reportedly failed to obey a quit notice issued by the department of public health after rising waters submerged businesses and flooded pit latrines.

Naivasha Public Health Officer Edward Kwanga said the beach had been declared uninhabitable, adding that the operators were endangering their lives and those of customers.

“We issued a statutory notice to close down the beach last week but this has been ignored. We now have to forcefully move in today,” Mr Kwanga said.

The official said some of the pressing challenges included lack of clean drinking water and collapse of the waste disposal system.

“We fear that the lake water is contaminated with faecal matter from the submerged latrines. We have also seen an increase in the number of flies,” he said.

Kwanga, who urged the traders to move to the newly renovated Banda landing site, said the county had also banned hawking of food in the town and surrounding suburbs.

But traders termed the order as unfair, saying they had medical certificates from the department of public health to sell their products.