Caption for the landscape image:

Lake Nakuru’s deadly 'promise'

Monday, September 28, 2026

Scroll down to read the article

Fishermen in a boat in Lake Nakuru on September 12, 2026.

Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group

WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 07.39.48 (1)

By Mercy Koskei

Correspondent

Summary
Article
Related

What you need to know:

The lake has become a perilous destination for some of those trying to make a living from its waters.
Although fishing is prohibited in the lake, the promise of quick money is difficult to resist for many.

For Stephen Mbugua, Lake Nakuru was a place to make a living but it became his final resting place.

The 19-year-old Nakuru man is believed to have drowned last Thursday while fishing in the lake, days before his body was found floating in its waters.

Mbugua had turned to fishing after dropping out of school and losing his casual construction job during the Covid-19 pandemic.

His friends said they entered the park on Thursday afternoon and found his clothes at a spot along the lakeshore where they often left them before venturing into the water.

At first, they assumed Mbugua had left the lake to avoid arrest but when he failed to return home the following day, their fears grew.

Read: Pain of missing fisherman’s family one year

His sister Lucy Wambui said the family learnt of his disappearance from his friends last Friday morning.

The friend he worked with told her that Mbugua had gone fishing on Thursday evening but had failed to return as usual. Only his clothes remained.

The family reported the matter at Bondeni Police Station on Friday evening but were told to wait 72 hours.

They began searching the lake on Saturday and continued on Sunday, without success.

On Monday evening, the search took a grim turn when park rangers alerted the family that a body had been spotted floating in the lake.

Women fish in waters of Lake Nakuru that have rose to their Mwariki village on September 12, 2026.

Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group

“I was called by a KWS ranger who told me that a body had been sighted in the lake but we had to wait since there was an ongoing case within the park. His body was later retrieved and moved to PNN mortuary. We do not know what transpired until he died. He went alone into the lake,” Ms Wambui said.

His elder sister Alice Njoki said the family arrived at the scene at around 4pm and found the body floating about 100 metres from the shoreline.

From a distance, they could make out Mbugua’s lifeless body which was entangled in a fishing net that had become stuck on debris.

His body was taken to the morgue where his mother Carolyne Wambui identified him.

“When I was told that he was missing while fishing, I just prayed to God for his body to be found. It was heartbreaking to see my son’s lifeless body. Poverty pushed him to fishing after he lost his job during the 2019 pandemic. It is sad his life was cut short,” his mother said.

Read: Hunger will finish us, not fish: Lake Nakuru residents defy fishing ban

Mbugua’s death has once again cast a spotlight on the dangers faced by young men who venture into Lake Nakuru in search of fish despite a ban on fishing.

The lake has become a perilous destination for some of those trying to make a living from its waters.

In 2025, more than six people lost their lives while engaging in illegal fishing activities in the lake, although authorities and community members believe the actual number could be higher.

On December 12, 2025, Simon Mungai, 35, and another fisherman were electrocuted while fishing illegally in the lake.

One body was recovered after days of searching by rescue teams. Mungai’s body, which had become trapped beneath the murky waters, was retrieved a week later.

Freshly harvested Tilapia from Lake Nakuru on September 12, 2026.

Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group

Mungai’s family said he had started fishing while still in high school, occasionally joining friends at Lake Naivasha. At the time, he was only helping to mend fishing nets for a fee.

He dropped out of school in Form Four but later agreed to return and sit his examinations after repeated pressure and threats of arrest.

After completing school, however, he fully immersed himself in fishing a trade that would eventually cost him his life.

He fished in Lake Naivasha for years before moving to Lake Nakuru.

Then, in February 2025, Justus Purokour Omollo, 29, disappeared while fishing in Lake Nakuru. His body was recovered days later.

Omollo had been a driver in Laikipia before moving to Naivasha with friends, where they ventured into fishing. He later moved to Lake Nakuru, where he worked for about two years.

Read: Deadly catch: Inside the toxic fish trade at Lake Nakuru

He left his young family in Naivasha and settled in Barut village near Lake Nakuru, where he lived with two friends.

Illegal fishing at Lake Nakuru is largely driven by economic desperation. With limited job opportunities in Nakuru County and rising living costs, young men are increasingly turning to risky ventures to provide for themselves and their families.

Although fishing is prohibited in the lake, the promise of quick money is difficult to resist for many and fish caught in the lake are sold discreetly in informal markets.

Most of those involved are aged between 18 and 35, with many having dropped out of school before turning to fishing.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has consistently warned against illegal fishing in Lake Nakuru, citing environmental and safety concerns. Regular patrols, arrests and public sensitisation campaigns have been carried out, but the problem persists.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.

From Ahero to Rome: The fisherman who rose to become a Catholic bishop

He speaks fluent Italian, Latin, German, French and Dholuo, and is now mastering the Maasai language.

Lifestyle Sep 06 Listen
'I lost six children and one is missing'

Brian Stingo, 21, vanished in July 2022 during an illegal fishing trip at Lake Nakuru; his body was never found.

Nakuru Apr 22 Listen
Mother mourns teen son who drowned in Lake Naivasha

Brandon Wekesa, a recent secondary school leaver, took up fishing to support his mother.

Nakuru Feb 22
New tests show Lake Nakuru tilapia contaminated with lead, parasites

Despite years of warnings, locals continue to eat and sell the fish, raising fears of widespread, silent poisoning

Climate Jun 21

Nation. Empower Africa.

We come to you. We are always looking for ways to improve our stories. Let us know what you liked and what we can improve on.

I've got feedback!

Recommended for you

Why Gachagua’s DCP is not ready to work with Ukombozi coalition

Politics 4 hours ago
Asbestos trap in top schools

Education 9 hours ago Listen
'Imperfect is not illegal': Why Housing Levy survived court test

News 9 hours ago Listen
Court gives former minister's family 7 days to avert property auction

News 9 hours ago Listen

In the headlines

Elections
News
Counties
Business
Opinion
Sports
Life & Style
Health
Podcasts
Photos
Newsletters
Puzzles

How Sankaran is making maths simple for millions of learners

Nirmala Sankaran built a platform to help children face math with confidence instead of fear.

Saturday Magazine 5 hours ago Listen
Auditor-General: Recovery of Sh4bn Uwezo loans unlikely

Money had been disbursed to women and youth groups since inception of flagship programme under Vision 2030 growth plan.

Business 9 hours ago Listen
IEBC expands diaspora voting to 26 countries

Commission chairman says mapping of more countries has been approved to boost participation by Kenyans abroad.

Politics 4 hours ago Listen

What you need to know:

PREMIUM From Ahero to Rome: The fisherman who rose to become a Catholic bishop

PREMIUM 'I lost six children and one is missing'

PREMIUM Mother mourns teen son who drowned in Lake Naivasha

PREMIUM New tests show Lake Nakuru tilapia contaminated with lead, parasites

PREMIUM Why Gachagua’s DCP is not ready to work with Ukombozi coalition

PREMIUM Asbestos trap in top schools

PREMIUM 'Imperfect is not illegal': Why Housing Levy survived court test

PREMIUM Court gives former minister's family 7 days to avert property auction

PREMIUM How Sankaran is making maths simple for millions of learners

PREMIUM Auditor-General: Recovery of Sh4bn Uwezo loans unlikely

IEBC expands diaspora voting to 26 countries

From Ahero to Rome: The fisherman who rose to become a Catholic bishop

'I lost six children and one is missing'

Mother mourns teen son who drowned in Lake Naivasha

New tests show Lake Nakuru tilapia contaminated with lead, parasites

Why Gachagua’s DCP is not ready to work with Ukombozi coalition

Asbestos trap in top schools

'Imperfect is not illegal': Why Housing Levy survived court test

Court gives former minister's family 7 days to avert property auction

How Sankaran is making maths simple for millions of learners

Auditor-General: Recovery of Sh4bn Uwezo loans unlikely