MINISTRY OF ICT, INNOVATION AND YOUTH AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION

To: All Field Stations

From: The National Editorial Desk
Date: 2nd September, 2020
RE: Rising Lake Baringo floods causing massive loss

1. Introduction
a) At least 18 schools serving about 5,000 learners have so far been flooded as water
continues to surge around Lake Baringo.
b) More than 30,000 people have been displaced after their homes were flooded. The
victims are out in the cold and have appealed for humanitarian help.
c) They need food and non food items like tents, clothing, drugs, utensils and mosquito
nests local leaders have termed the expansion of the lake a rare phenomenon, and
called for help from national and international agencies.
2. Dangers posed by rising Lake levels
a) The water continues to surge day and night and submerged schools.
b) The rising water levels has put the residents especially children at risk of
drowning and attacks by crocodiles and hippos that are moving closer to public
facilities and people’s homes.
c) Residents urged the government to urgently intervene by allocating funds to
relocate some of them and reconstruct the flooded schools. The lake has expanded
by pushing its shores up to seven Kilometres from its original level.
d) Some of the affected schools are Loruk, Sokotei, Ng’ambo, Kiserian, Salabani
and Lake Baringo primary and secondary schools. Others are Ng’enyin,
Noosukro, Rugus, Leswa and Sintaan primary schools.
e) The swollen lake borders Baringo North, Tiaty and Baringo South subcounties. It
is the second largest lake in Rift valley after lake Turkana.
f) The rising water levels threatens to join the nearby Lake Kichirtit (Lake 94) and
the alkaline Lake Bogoria. A number of tourist hotels, dispensaries and churches
are flooded. Roads have been rendered impassable.
 g) The water has covered farmland in local irrigation schemes like Perkerra,
Sintaan, Ng’ambo, Mosuro, Sandai and Kiserian, with local residents asking
for compensation.
h) Frequent earthquakes occurring in the lake posed more risks to the locals and
there is need for research scientists to tour the area urgently to ascertain the course
of the earthquakes and the scary fissures seen in the Islands.
i) The rising water levels in the lake is attributed to climate change and the ongoing
heavy rains that continue to pound most parts of the county since late July 2020.
j) The families whose houses are flooded were urged to consider moving to safer
ground to avoid loss of live. The government has set aside funds to rehabilitate at
least 10 affected schools a head of re-opening next year.
k) The government is prepared to tackle the emergencies and provide humanitarian
assistance.
3. Summary and conclusion
a) Water Rescue and Safety International noted hotels such as Soi Safari Lodge,
Lake Breeze, Desert Rose Camp and Block Hotel were already flooded,
putting the County at risk of losing millions of shillings.
b) River Perkerra and El’Molo which flow into the Lake have burst and changed
course, therefore escalating the floods. The situation is largely attributed to
blockage by overgrown Proposis Juliflo (Mathenge ) weed.
4. Assignments
a) Write news stories about the schools destroyed by floods in Lake Baringo area
and point out the number of learners affected by the floods disaster.
b) Write news stories on the number of homesteads affected, livestock, farms, shops,
beehives and other facilities destroyed.
c) Write an in-depth feature on the dangers posed by the rising water levels of Lake
Baringo, pointing out effects to livelihoods and the tourism sector.
d) Write an in-depth feature on the flooding of rivers Perkerra and El’molo, pointing
out the causes behind such occurrences, particularly the blockage attributed to the
over grown proposis Juliflora( Mathenge) weed.

Joseph Kipruto Kipkoech

Head, Kenya News Agency