Ecological disaster looms in Baringo as Lake Baringo risks spilling into Lake Bogoria

• Lake Bogoria, an alkaline lake, is reportedly just seven kilometres from spilling into Lake Baringo, a freshwater lake.

Ministry of Water officials, led by Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho, inspect restoration works in Baringo County. Photo: Ephantus Kimotho/X

For years, residents of Baringo County have borne the brunt of climate change, as rising waters in Lakes Baringo and Bogoria swallow homes, displace families, and submerge once-productive farmland.

Now, experts warn the crisis could escalate. Lake Bogoria, an alkaline lake, is reportedly just seven kilometres from spilling into Lake Baringo, a freshwater lake.

A merger of the two could trigger an ecological disaster, threatening both human and wildlife populations.

To contain the rising waters and avert this looming disaster, the government has deployed more than 100 excavators and other heavy machinery to divert Rivers Waseges and Loboi, which feed Lake Bogoria.

"The two rivers used to channel their water to Lake Baringo, but because of siltation over time, they have been taking water to Lake Bogoria. In fact, 60% of the water in Lake Bogoria comes from the two rivers. So, part of the works we are doing is river training."

"We are building a 25-metre-wide channel to conduct water from River Waseges back to the old swamp traditionally called Kimolong’o."

But as the government moves to protect threatened settlements and save the two lakes, another crisis is emerging. For communities along the rivers earmarked for diversion, the rescue mission could come at the cost of their own livelihoods.

Linah Karatu is a farmer in Loboi. She has ten acres under maize and another three acres of tomatoes in Sandai.

But the diversion project has cut off her irrigation water, putting her farms, family income, and future in jeopardy.

"I used to use this water from Sandai to grow tomatoes, beans, and maize. Now that we have already planted and they have closed the canal, we don’t know what to do. We thought that before diverting this water, they would construct irrigation canals first,” says Karatu.

Several farmers also claim that the ongoing excavation works have left them counting huge losses.

“When they excavated like that, there were people with farms; they trampled on tomatoes, they trampled on vegetables. Others uprooted their tomatoes to replant them elsewhere. But for those located right there—in what they claim is a swamp—they trampled over everything,” she adds.

Further downstream along River Loboi, the government’s intervention is creating another dilemma.

As authorities race to divert the river back to its original course, several families now face the prospect of losing their homes to make way for the new channel.

"Everyone here has a title deed, even me, I have mine. We have spoken with the county government, but they have done nothing.”

"We have seen the maps of this area and we don’t find any river here. So why is the government showing us maps that do not correspond with the work happening on the ground?"

"For River Waseges, the team has established that 21 plots have been affected, and for River Loboi, 80 plots are affected."

At Loboi Centre, once a vibrant tourism hub, the future looks increasingly uncertain as the waters of Lake Bogoria continue to rise. With heavy rains looming, the centre could soon disappear underwater.

While the residents understand the need to protect communities and prevent an ecological disaster, they are equally concerned about the economic consequences of losing access to irrigation water.

“We are appealing to the government to help us, and also look into compensating the residents living here.”

Authorities have confirmed that phase two of the project will entail upgrading irrigation infrastructure, with about 250,000 acres already identified for irrigation development in Tiaty Constituency.