Patmoz
Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has raised the alarm over the worsening flooding crisis in Kihoto Estate, describing the situation as dire, devastating, and a tragic consequence of government inaction.
Speaking on the persistent flooding caused by rising water levels in Lake Naivasha, the MP lamented that it was unacceptable for residents to endure the same tragedy again, five years after a similar incident in 2020.
“The situation in Kihoto Estate is dire, devastating, and regrettable. I sympathize with all the affected families. This flooding should not be happening again if we had a government that is people-centred,” said Kihara.
She noted that while she and other leaders had previously provided humanitarian support to affected families, the current scale of destruction demands urgent intervention from the national government.
Kihara recalled that after the 2020 flooding, she raised the matter in Parliament, prompting the National Assembly Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to visit Naivasha and issue a report with concrete recommendations to address the problem permanently.
“One of the key recommendations was for the government to survey Lake Naivasha’s riparian land and resettle households whose homes fell within the newly marked boundaries. Five years later, that report has never been implemented,” she said.
The legislator expressed frustration over the continued inaction, saying she had made multiple follow-ups with the relevant ministries but had yet to see results.
“Five years down the line, the committee report has never been acted upon. I have followed up through various government corridors, but as a Member of Parliament, my hands are limited,” Kihara noted.
She vowed to continue pushing for the implementation of the committee’s recommendations, insisting that the residents of Kihoto deserve lasting solutions, not repeated promises.
“We should not be where we are today in Kihoto if those in government offices had done their job when it mattered,” she added.
Kihara urged the government to take immediate and decisive action to safeguard lives and property, emphasizing that the plight of Kihoto residents should serve as a wake-up call for stronger environmental management and disaster preparedness around Lake Naivasha.
Shadrack Nyakoe
