Vulnerability and Displacement: Case of Kihoto, Kenya

The case study examines how the 2020 flooding of Lake Naivasha and subsequent water level rise exacerbated vulnerabilities in the Kihoto informal settlement. Findings indicate that the combined impact of floods, displacement, and the COVID-19 pandemic severely eroded long-term resilience, particularly for women aged 18-35 and those employed in horticulture and agriculture. The report highlights that a lack of official response capacity and limited access to basic services like sanitation and healthcare further increased displacement risks and slowed economic recovery.

• The intersection of the 2020 floods, displacement, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused severe damage to incomes and long-term resilience through unemployment, increased costs, and the loss of housing, businesses, and local savings schemes.
• The flooding specifically devastated the horticulture and agriculture sectors, which are the primary employers in the area, and impacted businesses already weakened by the pandemic. Women aged 18 to 35 experienced the most significant loss of livelihoods and the highest difficulty finding work post-disaster.
• Vulnerability to displacement is intensified by a lack of official capacity for disaster response and recovery in informal settlements, as well as limited access to essential services including safe water, sanitation, and healthcare.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2024). Vulnerability and Displacement: Case of Kihoto, Kenya. https://www.sei.org/publications/vulnerability-displacement-case-kihoto-kenya/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Vulnerability and Displacement: Case of Kihoto, Kenya. 2024. https://www.sei.org/publications/vulnerability-displacement-case-kihoto-kenya/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Vulnerability and Displacement: Case of Kihoto, Kenya |date=25 June 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/vulnerability-displacement-case-kihoto-kenya/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2024vulnerability, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Vulnerability and Displacement: Case of Kihoto, Kenya}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/vulnerability-displacement-case-kihoto-kenya/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }