Rising Rift Valley lakes force wildlife into Kenyan villages, displacing thousands

Analyses of Copernicus Sentinel and NASA Landsat images reveal that Lake Baringo’s area has risen from roughly 138 to 234 square kilometres since 2010, a 70% increase, while Lake Bogoria expanded from 34 to 41 square kilometres, a 21% rise. The two bodies of water are now only about 10 kilometres apart, raising fears that a merger could threaten fish, crocodiles and hippos. Communities around the lakes have been forced to move, with tens of thousands seeking higher ground, and schools such as Kokwa Island Primary now require daily ferry trips across crocodile-infested waters.

Wildlife attacks have risen, exemplified by a nine-year-old boy who spent three months in hospital after a crocodile bite. The flooding has also devastated tourism, submerging several resorts and cutting annual earnings from roughly $1 million to $200,000, while local farms and homes sit partially underwater.