This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
Heavy rains in Kenya and Ethiopia have caused Lake Turkana's water levels to rise to a record high, displacing over 1,000 families living along its shores.
Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok confirmed that the water levels have moved from the usual 500 meters from the shoreline to 800 meters.
"The swelling lake has submerged the once dry white sandy beaches, beach hotels, public offices, and nearby homes where at least 1,000 families have been displaced," Mr. Nanok said.
He noted that the lake is also infested with crocodiles and hippos, which, when aided by the water, will expose affected people to attacks.
While calling on villagers to move to safe grounds, the governor said that fishing has also been interrupted, rendering hundreds of people jobless.
"Some hotels have been submerged, and the fisher folks and residents near the lake have lost business. The adverse effect has already been felt in Turkana North and Turkana Central sub-counties," Mr. Nanok said.
Turkana North MP Christopher Nakuleu attributed the unusual situation to flash floods resulting from heavy rains that have been pounding Southern Ethiopia since last year.
He said that there has been continued excessive flooding in Southern Ethiopia, directing the flood water to Omo River, the main source of water for the lake.
"Due to frequent rains, there has also been consistent residual inflow from Turkwel River and major seasonal rivers contributing to the lake, resulting in a sudden rise in water levels," Mr. Nakuleu said.
On August 20, 2020, the water in the Turkwel dam reached 1149.09 meters above sea level, exceeding the highest level ever recorded.
"The spillage of the dam is designed to occur at 1,150 meters above the sea level. I direct the county department of Administration and Disaster Management to continue providing alerts and sensitizing residents at mapped wards to move to higher grounds should the trend worsen," the governor said.
