Dicing with Death: Kenya – Come Hell or High Water

Kenya is developing at breakneck speed, but behind the buildings of the capital, Nairobi, and the savannah, so popular with tourists, lies a very different reality. Climate change is splitting the country in two. In the north, entire regions are suffering from severe drought, while in the south, populations are threatened by rising sea levels. The road network is littered with bad tracks.

Every week, Adam buys 100 kilos of fish from the fishermen of Lake Victoria to sell to the cannery 70 kilometers from his home. His unrefrigerated truck is a race against time and the sun. David, a cab driver, never takes to the road with fewer than 15 customers for his 8 seats! It has to be said that travelers to the Turkana region are rare.

The sun’s fire scorches the land and the herds. While some of the land is drying up, the situation on Lake Baringo is quite the opposite! The lake’s inhabitants face a terrible danger… Crocodiles that used to live far from the shore are now attacking the villagers. As for the school, it has become an island, and some children are forced to cross the lake on makeshift rafts, surrounded by crocodiles and hippos.

Those who flee head for Lake Victoria and try their luck on Migingo Island. The fish-filled waters surrounding the island have made it an El Dorado. Today, over a thousand people cram onto this rock, which is smaller than a soccer pitch.