One dead, one missing as fishing expedition turns tragic in Lake Nakuru

Joyce Wambui and her husband John Njoroge, search for their kin, Simon Mungai who went missing while fishing at Lake Nakuru National Park on December 19, 2025. ‎[Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Joyce Wambui was inconsolable as she stared at the still waters of Lake Nakuru where her younger brother Simon Mungai is believed to have met his death.

Mungai, 35 is said to have illegally accessed the lake alongside his peer only identified as Mwangi for a fishing expedition that turned tragic.

“He has been living in Naivasha and came to Nakuru two years ago for fishing. We got a report from his friends that he went missing on December 12, 2025 and since then we haven’t found him,” said Wambui.

The two families made missing persons reports to the police and conducted foot patrols on the shores of the lake hoping to find their kin.

“On Wednesday, the search party came across Mwangi’s body floating on the shores of the lake. Mungai’s body nor his clothes were nowhere to be found,” said John Njoroge, Mungai’s uncle.

Emmanuel Koech, an assistant director at Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in charge of Lake Nakuru National Park said that preliminary findings indicated that Mwangi was electrocuted.

Koech attributed the electrocution to low hanging high-voltage power lines whose pylons have been submerged within the swollen lake.

“The lake has continued to swell and pylons which were far from the waters are now submerged. The power cables are live and hanging about a meter high from the water surface. An observation on Mwangi's body indicated that he was electrocuted,” said Koech.

Mungai is believed to have met the same fate.

Joyce Wambui and her husband John Njoroge, and Emmanuel Koech, an assistant director at KWS in charge of Lake Nakuru National Park, on December 19, 2025. ‎[Kipsang Joseph, Standard] 

The director further explained that the rising water levels and the low hanging power lines add to the dangers illegal fishermen expose themselves to while fishing in the protected area.

“They sneak in at night and most likely didn’t see the power lines. It is unfortunate that we have lost six young men aged between 18 and 25 in the lake since January this year,” said Koech.

The family is now appealing to well-wishers to help them trace the body at the lake saying they have no financial muscle, the skill and equipment needed.

“We need boats, divers and fuel. All these have financial costs which we can’t afford. My plea is for help to retrieve the body so that we can have closure after laying him to rest,” said Njoroge.

He narrated how they sought to stop Mungai from engaging in fishing from a young age but his fate seems to have been calling.

“He had refused to complete secondary school until I forced him to sit for final exams. Then, he was fishing at Lake Naivasha. He made savings and even bought a car but never stopped fishing despite our continued advice,” said Njoroge.

Wambui said that Mungai, who they are now presuming to have died in the lake has left behind a widow and three children.

“He had started a fruits business but it didn’t last three months. He reverted to fishing but never wanted us to know he had shifted from Naivasha to Nakuru when fish were discovered,” she said.