Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara Decries Government Inaction as Kihoto Flooding Crisis Worsens

By John Kariuki

Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has expressed deep concern over the devastating flooding in Kihoto Estate, terming the situation dire, regrettable, and a tragic reminder of government negligence.

Speaking on the recurring crisis caused by rising water levels in Lake Naivasha, the legislator said it was unacceptable for the disaster to strike for a second time, five years after a similar incident in 2020.

“The situation in Kihoto Estate is dire, devastating, and regrettable. I sympathize with all the affected families. This flooding should not be happening again if we had a government that is people-centred,” said Kihara.

She revealed that although she and other leaders had previously extended humanitarian support to victims in their personal capacities, the current magnitude of the disaster demands urgent intervention from the national government.

“In 2020, when a similar tragedy occurred, I raised the matter in Parliament, prompting the National Assembly Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to visit Naivasha. The committee later came up with concrete recommendations to solve the problem once and for all,” she recalled.

Kihara said one of the key recommendations was for the government to conduct a survey of Lake Naivasha’s riparian land and resettle households whose homes fell within the newly marked boundaries. However, five years later, she lamented that the recommendations have never been implemented.

“Five years down the line, the parliamentary committee report has never been acted upon by the relevant government ministries. I have followed up on the matter through various government corridors, but as a Member of Parliament, my hands are limited,” she said.

The Naivasha MP vowed to continue pursuing the matter through the National Assembly to ensure the Environment Committee’s report is finally implemented, noting that the residents of Kihoto deserve lasting solutions, not repeated promises.

“We should not be where we are today in Kihoto if people sitting in government offices had done their job at the right time,” she added.

Kihara called on the government to take immediate and decisive action to protect lives and property, saying the suffering of Kihoto residents should serve as a wake-up call to prioritize environmental management and disaster preparedness around Lake Naivasha.