Government moves to stop Lakes Baringo and Bogoria from merging
Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho inspected emergency drainage works in Baringo County on Saturday. The gap between the two lakes has narrowed from about 22 kilometres a decade ago to seven kilometres.
The government has started emergency works to restore natural drainage around Lakes Baringo and Bogoria. The aim is to stop the two lakes from merging as their water levels rise. Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho inspected the works in Baringo County on Saturday, Citizen Digital reported. The government wants to act before the predicted El Niño rains arrive. Lake Baringo is a freshwater lake, while Lake Bogoria is alkaline. Technical assessments presented during the inspection showed that the distance between them has shrunk from about 22 kilometres a decade ago to seven kilometres. Officials fear that the two ecosystems could mix. The Eastleigh Voice reported that the rising waters have already caused extensive flooding. Lake Baringo's water volume has grown by an estimated 1.4 to 1.9 billion cubic metres since 2010. Its level has risen by about 12 to 14 metres over the same period. Before 2010, its surface area ranged between 108 and 130 square kilometres across dry and wet seasons. By 2026, the water level had risen from about 972 metres to 984 metres above mean sea level, the Eastleigh Voice reported. Kimotho said the…
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