NAIROBI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Beside a stretch of highway now swallowed by the waters of Lake Baringo, Mathew Kipchim recalled a time when the road connected communities, businesses and families across Kenya's arid Baringo County.
"Before the lake swelled and submerged this road, we used to pass here," he said, gesturing toward the water. Today, more than one km of the highway lies beneath water over a meter deep.
For residents of Loruk in Baringo County, life has been transformed by a crisis that few could have imagined in one of Kenya's driest regions.
While drought has long defined this vast landscape of thorny shrubs and scorching temperatures, communities are now grappling with a different threat: rising floodwaters.
Expanding waters of Lake Baringo have submerged villages, schools and businesses, displaced hundreds of families and cut off key transport routes.
To reach their homes, schools and markets, residents now travel more than seven km along rough dirt tracks winding through dense thickets before reconnecting with the main road.
"It now costs nearly twice as much to transport goods from Marigat to Chemolingot because of the disruption," says Bernard Tabulong, a shopkeeper in Chemolingot. "Unfortunately, we have to pass the costs on to consumers, which affects our businesses."
The impact extends far beyond economics. Families displaced by the swelling lake are struggling to rebuild their livelihoods, while stagnant waters have increased concerns about disease and safety.
At nearby Loruk Primary School, some students whose homes were flooded must travel to class by private boat. Each crossing costs 20 Kenyan shillings (about 0.15 U.S. dollars), a significant expense for many families.
The challenges facing Loruk reflect a broader climate reality confronting Kenya. The country is increasingly experiencing cycles of prolonged drought, erratic rainfall and destructive flooding.
According to the National Drought Management Authority, up to 3.3 million people in Kenya's arid and semi-arid regions required food assistance as of March. Meanwhile, more than 80 people lost their lives during floods that struck parts of the country during the March-May rainy season.
In early June, meteorologists warned that El Nino-related rains could develop later this year and peak during the October-December rainy season.
For communities living along Lake Baringo, the forecast brings little comfort. Although the surrounding land remains dry, rivers flowing from distant regions continue feeding the lake, raising fears that water levels could rise further and force more families from their homes.
Boniface Kimani, deputy county commissioner of Baringo, said the government has provided emergency assistance and resettlement support to affected families. Food aid distribution and infrastructure repairs are also underway.
Yet for many residents, the future remains uncertain as they watch the water inch closer to their homes. Enditem
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