NLC moves to stop encroachment around Lake Naivasha

Traders at Karagita beach, Lake Naivasha. [Courtesy]

The government will soon start demarcating land around Lake Naivasha to ward off encroachers.

The National Land Commission (NLC) said they will ensure boundaries are clearly marked as they seek to protect the riparian land he said is under threat from grabbers.

NLC regional commissioner Reginald Okumu termed Lake Naivasha critical to the country's economy and said they will do everything possible to protect the water body. 

Okumu told a consultative meeting in Naivasha on Thursday that the demarcation is part of their short-term measures to save the lake's land from encroachers and grabbers.

"We will be targeting land that is about 1892.8 meters above sea level. Any structure or property beyond that will be declared illegal. Titles of land beyond that space will be revoked," said Okumu.

He said a multi-agency team will soon be formed to carry out the exercise.

Okumu said some of the people who own land near the lake got their title deeds under unclear circumstances even as he warned against invasion of the riparian land.

"Apart from erecting beacons, we shall also come up with environmentally friendly monuments even as we seek to keep encroachers away from this very important water body," said Okumu.  

During the meeting, stakeholders urged the land commission to move with speed and save the land around the lake saying the resultant human activity is threatening the water body.

The chairman of Lake Naivasha Water Resource Users Association Enock Kiminta expressed concern over increased encroachment of riparian land.

“Our challenge to NLC is to make sure they implement the recommendations by the stakeholders. The lake is under threat due to encroachment and we must all pull together to save it,” said Kiminta adding cases of conflict over the land around Lake Naivasha have also increased.

This came as stakeholders expressed concern over the rise of illegal structures on the land. The structures and increased human activity have been blamed for the poor quality of water flowing into the lake.