More than 60 families living in Remba Island of Suba North constituency, Homa Bay County have been displaced after their houses were submerged by rising water from Lake Victoria.
The families who depend on fishing as their main source of livelihood at the Island were forced to move to their neighbour’s houses within the Island, which poses an extra challenge of maintaining social distance as recommended by the government to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Fisheries department in Homa Bay County has expressed concern that continued rising of water level in the lake is having a negative economic impact on the fishing community.
Homa Bay County Agriculture and Fisheries Executive Aguko Juma and County Beach Management Unit (BMU) chairman Edward Oremo said a number of fishermen have abandoned fishing due to the effect of rising water levels from Lake Victoria.
Juma said that some displaced families have decided to abandon fishing adding that the county government is monitoring the situation and when the need arises, the families will have to be evacuated.
On his part, the county beach leader Edward Oremo said that the rising of water level has affected nearly half of beaches across the county.
Oremo added that the situation is likely to promote conflict between fishermen and residents living along the lake especially when fishermen decide to encroach on dry land.
He appealed to the national government to help them mitigate the problems caused by the rise in water levels.
By Dan Oduor and Davis Langat
