Fear and anxiety have taken hold of the fishing community around Lake Naivasha due to a sharp increase in fatal hippo attacks. This heightened concern follows the tragic death of a man who was attacked by a hippo while fishing along the southern shores of the lake, prompting his companions to flee.
Since the beginning of the year, over 20 individuals have lost their lives, primarily from drowning or hippo encounters, with illegal fishermen, known as “foot-fishermen,” being the most vulnerable.
The situation has been exacerbated by rising water levels and an influx of fishermen. In the most recent incident, a middle-aged man was fishing on Tuesday morning when he was attacked by a lone hippo, as confirmed by witnesses.
Grace Nyambura from the Lake Naivasha and Oloidien Boat Owners Association reported that five other men managed to swim to safety during the incident. She noted that over the past year, hippo attacks have surged, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries.
“Every week, we are recording at least one case of drowning or a hippo attack involving foot-fishermen, and these statistics are alarming,” she stated.
Earlier this month, a man was killed and another severely injured by a hippo in Kasarani, North Lake, as the water levels continued to rise.
Francis Muthui, chairman of Friends of Lake Naivasha, indicated that more than 10 people have been killed or injured by hippos in the past two months. He highlighted Kihoto, Kasarani, Tarambeta, Kongoni, Marula, and Kamere as the areas most impacted by human-wildlife conflicts.
Muthui explained that the flooding of pasture lands and access corridors has driven hippos and buffaloes into human settlements, leading to an increase in attacks that have resulted in fatalities.
