Nakuru County government has warned all those who have encroached on riparian lands and public corridors along Lake Naivasha that they risk being forcefully evicted.
The eviction will be enforced should they not vacate the areas voluntarily.
While addressing the public at Karagita landing beach where three fishermen drowned a week ago, Governor Kinuthia Mbugua said it was unacceptable that public facilities were owned by private individuals.
He said that once the committee that was appointed to look into this issue presents its report on the status of the public corridors and riparian land the over 10 corridors that have been encroached on illegally will be reopened to the public.
Mbugua said: “Once we get the report, all public corridors will be reopened without negotiations with anybody or compensation to anyone. Riparian land is public land and corridors remain as public access facilities therefore its unacceptable that most people have encroached on them.”
He assured the residents that military divers would be flown in today from Mombasa to assist the locals in retrieving the body of one of the fishermen whose body is still missing.
At the same time, Kinuthia said the country government would purchase life jackets for fishermen at beaches along the lake besides facilitating training for local divers to avoid the dependency on experts from outside the county.
Three fishermen died last week in Lake Naivasha after their boat capsized at the Karagita landing beach.
The body of the third of the fisherman is yet to be retrieved in an accident that saw three other fishermen rescued several hours after the incident.
According to the chairman Lake Naivasha Boat Operators David Kilo, the three fishermen together with others had on Wednesday night gone to the lake to lay their fishing nets as usual when strong winds capsized their boat.
“Three of the fishermen managed to cling to the sinking boat in an accident that unfortunately saw their colleagues swept away,” Kilo said.