LAKE NAIVASHA:Months of sustained torrential rains have caused a lake in Kenya's Rift Valley to flood its banks, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes and farms, in what officials say shows the devastating impact of climate change on East Africa.
Lake Naivasha has expanded to 173 square kilometres, from 112 square kilometres just 10 years ago, mainly due to increased rainfall and siltation, which pushes the waters outwards, said Cyrus Oguna, the Kenyan government spokesman.
In many other parts of the East Africa region too, heavy rains have ravaged crops and rising waters from lakes and rivers have destroyed shoreline communities.
"This is a global phenomenon which has come to Kenya now. Climate change is now affecting the East African region," said Festus Ng'eno, the executive in charge of water in Nakuru county, where Lake Naivasha is situated.
Ruth Wanjiru, forced to leave her home in the shoreline village of Kihoto in May, said she had lived in the area for nearly three decades but had never seen flooding on this scale.
"It all started in April. The water started rising, coming to the residential areas. It got worse and I had to move out," said the 47-year-old mother, one of around 500 people displaced by the flooding from Lake Naivasha.
She watched crestfallen as five young men waded through thigh-high waters to salvage windows and doors from the house she had to abandon.
"I am now trying to save the little that I can," said Wanjiru, adding that she would sell retrievable parts of the house for food and other essentials.
Ten small rental houses she had built in the area have also been abandoned, depriving her of her primary source of income.
Some residents are afraid of wild animals that now roam about the area.
"We are now having hippopotamuses right before our eyes," said Esther Gichuki. "We cannot walk around after 7 p.m."
Reuters
Tue Nov 10 2020
Residents wade through flood waters near their submerged houses after the water levels at Lake Naivasha bulged to record high, pushing hundreds of people from surrounding farms around Naivasha town within Nakuru county, Kenya. REUTERSpic
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.
INSIGHT - Sudan's war risks 'lost generation' of children
A devastating crisis is unfolding in Sudan, where the most vulnerable members of society children are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to "go into Taiwan,"
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.