School calendars disrupted, facilities submerge as Lake Baringo waters rises again

At almost 9 am, tens of school-going children are balancing against the tides sweeping along the Marigat-Loruk road. It is long past the school official reporting time but in Loruk, no one follows the school clock anymore, lake Baringo has set a new schedule.

Every morning, parents and teachers performed the same grim ritual of surveying the submerged roads for safe passage, checking the school grounds for crocodiles and hippos. Only then could the day begin.

“It is no longer business as usual. The morning starts with scooping water from the house and making sure the surroundings are clear before I let the children out since there are many crocodiles and hippos,” Gladys Chepotipin says.

For many learners, crossing over parts of submerged roads to school is becoming a nightmare. Besides the water levels that pose danger especially for the younger learners, there also face danger of wild animals who roam about.

“The biggest challenge that the learners now face is encountering crocodiles and hippopotamuses along the road. A bridge needs to be urgently constructed to allow learners to access schools without endangering their lives,” Aaron Cheburet, a resident said.

The teachers say that while the increasing water levels has affected operations in schools, altering reporting times, the learners are neither safe at home as most of their homes are now submerged.

At Loruk Primary school, learners risk attack from crocodiles and hippos as the lake waters has encroached in to the school compound. Break times are no longer as usual as learners are confined to some sections considered safer by teachers, to protect learners from potential danger.

According to Chepyator Johanna, Loruk village elder, the security in schools is becoming a concern as wild animals like hippos have turned playgrounds in to grazing fields.

“With the advancing waters, some schools like Loruk Primary need fence to keep the learners safe from wild animals. It is very dangerous because wild animals always stray in to the compound and teachers have a hard time ensuring that the learners are protected. Putting up a fence to protect the students,” Chepyator said.

Given previous incidences of attacks in the area, the parents noted that learners in such hardship areas should be provided lunch for during such times.

“The challenge is that the learners often go back home for lunch and resume afternoon lessons. This exposes learners to more danger since they have to cross the submerged roads close to four times a day. The government should ensure that these learners are provided with lunch at school,” Kennedy Komen, a member of the board at Loruk Primary school said.

Baringo Fishermen Cooperative Chairman, Joshua Chepsergon said that the fluctuating water levels that have been experienced in Lake Baringo has resulted in numerous losses. In 2020 when the lake level rose, health facilities, hotels, homes and even schools were submerged.

“And just when businesses were resuming and people had just started rebuilding lives and renovating buildings, the water levels in increasing again,” he noted.

Even as communities struggle to adapt to the changing environments, some facilities have come up with innovative ways to keep businesses afloat. In facilities like Soi Safari Lodge, business, suspended bridges have become the new attraction, an innovation that allows visitors to access areas that are partly submerged.

While parts of the buildings are submerged, suspended bridges have been constructed to allow visitors to access buildings.

“We had to come up with innovative approaches for business to stay afloat. The engineers had to rework on the facility to allow visitors access some rooms, which interestingly is receiving a lot of attention from tourists. We had to adapt to the changing environments,” Augustine Onyango, a staff at the facility said.

Recently, researchers at the Wildlife Research and Training Institute raised a warning that the water levels across all the Rift Valley lakes have immensely increased. They said the increase call for a study.