Fear and anxiety have gripped the fisherfolk around Lake Naivasha following a sharp rise in fatal hippo attacks. Recently, another man was killed by a hippo while fishing on the shores of South Lake, as his colleagues fled from the water.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 20 people have died from either drowning or hippo attacks, with illegal fishermen, known as ‘foot-fishermen,’ being the most affected.
The situation has worsened due to rising water levels and an increase in the number of fishermen. In the latest incident, the middle-aged man was fishing on Tuesday morning when a lone hippo attacked, according to witnesses.
Grace Nyambura from the Lake Naivasha and Oloidien Boat Owners Association reported that five other men swam to safety during the attack. She noted that in the past year, hippo attacks have been increasing, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
“Every week we are recording at least one case of drowning or hippo attack in the lake involving foot-fishermen and these numbers are worrying,” she added.
Earlier this month, one man was killed and another seriously injured by a hippo in Kasarani, North Lake, as water levels in Lake Naivasha continued to rise. Francis Muthui, chairman of Friends of Lake Naivasha, reported that over the past two months, more than 10 people have been killed or injured by hippos.
He identified Kihoto, Kasarani, Tarambeta, Kongoni, Marula, and Kamere as the areas most affected by human-wildlife conflict. Muthui noted that the flooding of acres of pasture land and access corridors since the lake burst its banks has pushed the animals into human settlements.
