Climate victim compensation rise as new displacements increase across Rift lakes

Monica Ambuya stood with her feet immersed in the salty, warm water that claimed her home. The water's surface mirrored a distorted sky, a sarcastic reflection of her current life. The once familiar, comforting scent of her home is gone, replaced by the salty smell of the expanding Lake Nakuru.

For 15 years, Ambuya has raised her family within the Mwariki estate that borders Lake Nakuru, but is now salvaging her few belongings from her submerged home.

The water levels have been steadily rising, displacing those living around. Currently, 264 households have been displaced, up from 155 that were displaced in 2020 under a similar scenario.

“The water levels are still rising and displacing us. It is so sad to watch all your investments getting swallowed by a lake,” Ambuya said.

Just across the fence, her neighbor Margaret Wangeci watches as the water gently lapped at her gate, its rusting hinges shrieking in protest. Her home, too, stands like an island in the rising tide.

“I just moved out last week to a rental house. I am staring all over again to pay rent, but what is even more saddening is the fact that even those who had earlier been displaced by these floods have never been compensated,” Wangeci said.

David Kahoro is among those who were earlier displaced in 2020, alongside 154 other families. Data and surveys of their lost lands have since been collected by the government, and now they are awaiting compensation.

“Six years later, we are still out in the cold. We are yet to receive compensation for the lands and property we lost during that time. The government should expedite the exercise because more people are getting displaced at the moment,” Kahoro said.

Even as the cases of flood victims keep on increasing in Lake Nakuru, similar scenarios are being experienced across major lakes in the Rift Valley, including Lake Turkana, Lake Baringo, and Lake Naivasha. Major displacements have been experienced in the lakes Baringo, Nakuru, and Naivasha.

These cases of communities seeking compensation to rebuild their lives are not just merely compensation but are now categorized as climate victim compensation. These kinds of compensation for losses and damages have become a center stage in international climate dialogues and continental climate summits.

According to Dr Jackson Koimbori, an agroclimatologist who was part of the task force undertaking an evaluation of the rising water levels in the Rift Valley, the team recommended compensation as cases were directly linked to the impacts of climate change.

"We noted this as a recommendation because we needed these victims to be compensated. Generally, this is an issue that we have been pushing even internationally during the COP events since these are direct impacts caused by climate change," Dr Koimbori said.

“These events are clear evidence of how climate impacts can actually affect human life. The push for the Loss and Damage Fund is about holding the high-emitting nations accountable for the disproportionately suffering regions like Kenya, where communities contribute little to global emissions but face devastating consequences,” he added.

The task force earlier found that increased rainfall and extreme weather conditions were the key causes of increasing water volumes within the lakes on the Rift Valley floor.

"This is driven by climate variability and climate change rainfall patterns in the Rift Valley, which have shifted with more intense and wetter seasons," Dr Koimbori said.

While flood victims in Nakuru are still waiting for compensation, those who were displaced by the rising waters from Lake Baringo lodged their case in Iten Lands and Environment Court.

Reuben Chepkonga, a community representative and a voluntary paralegal in the case, said that Climate change effects left a trail of destruction in areas around Lake Baringo and Bogoria between 2019 and 2022.

The communities have sued the government for losses and damages they incurred in the 2019/2020 floods, which displaced more than 30,000 people in both Baringo South and North.

But now, fear is mounting with the new cases of displacements.

"The 2020 floods were the worst we have ever experienced. Villagers are now worried about the future because the same thing is currently happening. Sadly, the response from the government is still poor," Chepkonga said.

“We are now asking the government to prepare to handle such calamities. The meteorological department should be quick in relaying information to ensure preparedness," he added.

The recently concluded Second Africa Climate Summit brought together delegations, including the heads of state, policy makers, faith-based organisations, private sector leaders, civil society organisations, and youth representatives who explored themes around financing for the continent's resilience and green development.

Global Climate Justice manager at the ACT Alliance, Julius Mbatia, noted that Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change, contributing less than 4 percent of global emissions, yet bearing some of its harshest impacts.

"The failure of structures and systems to deliver climate change justice has been the norm, and we are now calling for practical and responsive solutions. Climate justice can not happen without solutions," he added.