Lake Naivasha has become a tragic hotspot, with over two dozen individuals losing their lives this year alone, either through drowning or fatal hippo attacks, while engaged in illegal fishing activities.

Data compiled by the Lake Naivasha Network Group reveals that the most severely affected demographics are former flower farm employees and residents of the various informal settlements bordering the lake, with the grim statistics climbing week by week.

The latest casualty saw a middle-aged "foot-fisherman" drown near Kamera landing beach in South Lake during a fishing expedition.

Grace Nyambura, the chairperson of the Lake Naivasha Network Group, attributes this alarming trend to widespread unemployment compounded by challenging economic conditions, which have driven numerous young people to illegally seek livelihoods from the lake's waters.

She highlighted that despite the presence of the Kenya Coast Guards, these youths continue their illicit fishing, directly contributing to the surge in hippo attacks and drowning incidents.

"Every fortnight, we are losing a person to drowning or hippo attacks, and it's time that we sought an alternative source of livelihood for our brothers and sisters," Nyambura stated, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention.

She recounted the most recent drowning incident, explaining that the deceased was part of a group of foot-fishermen when he slipped and fell into an underwater tunnel.

"Efforts by his colleagues to rescue him were fruitless, and the body was recovered hours later and taken to the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary," she added.

Francis Muthui, the chairman of the Friends of Lake Naivasha, expressed deep concern, noting that the majority of those who have drowned in the lake are remarkably young, typically under the age of 25.

He recalled a distressing incident where two young men, aged 20 and 21, drowned in the Kasarani area while engaged in illegal fishing along the lake's shores.

"We are deeply concerned by the rising cases of drowning in the lake involving very young men, and it’s time the necessary arms of the government intervened," Muthui urged, calling for immediate governmental action.

Muthui further pointed out that in recent years, the hippo population in Lake Naivasha has doubled. This increase, combined with rising water levels, has led to a significant surge in fatal attacks.

"Due to an increase in the number of illegal fishermen and reduced grazing spaces, the animals have become very wild, attacking anyone on sight," he explained, painting a vivid picture of the heightened danger.

Despite the escalating number of fatal attacks, the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) has described the hippo population in Lake Naivasha as "healthy."

A census conducted by the research institute last year indicated that the lake supports over 500 hippos, a number considered optimal for the ecosystem, with a gradual increase observed.

This scientific assessment, however, contrasts sharply with the grim reality faced by the human population around the lake.