Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
i | P a g e
CHALLENGES OF LANDUSE CHANGE and SETTLEMENT GROWTH ON LAKE
NAIVASHA RIPARIAN RESERVE
BY: EMILY M. MUGO
REG NO: B65/3849/2012
A FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTED IN THE PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF
ARTS DEGREE IN URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
ii | P a g e
DECLARATION
This planning research project is my original work and has not been presented for examination in
any other university.
…………………………….. …………………………………
Mugo Emily Mugure DATE
(CANDIDATE)
This planning research project has been submitted for examination with my approval as a
university supervisor.
……………………………………. ………………………………….
Dr. Musyimi Mbathi DATE
(SUPERVISOR)
iii | P a g e
DEDICATION
I dedicated this project to the people of Kihoto estate-Naivasha, and also to the authorities to
make them realize the dangers which the natural environment undergoes if the necessary services
are not provided to the public especially the urban poor. Last but not least, I dedicate this to my
family and friends, whose assistance, perseverance and determination have been remarkable in
making sure all goes well.
iv | P a g e
ACKNOLEDGEMENT
First I would like to thank the Almighty God for his continued blessings and providence all my
life. He has taken me from strength to strength and for that I cannot be thankful enough.
My sincere gratitude goes to my supervisor, Dr. Mbathi, for his encouragement, constructive
criticism and guidance ever since I embarked on doing this research project. May God richly
bless him.
I would also like to thank my family, for their unwavering love and support throughout the
period I have been carrying out this research. Their prayers and encouragement kept me going
when I felt like giving up.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all the residents, landowners, institutional heads, and
farmers of Kihoto estate, who have been so resourceful during the commencement of this project
and I have to acknowledge such an effort I thank-you, because you made this journey a
worthwhile.
Thank you!
v | P a g e
ABSTRACT
This project paper is meant to investigate on the implications or dangers which the riparian reserve,
undergoes if when there is land use change from agricultural to settlement growth in an
environmentally fragile area, and where there is inadequate implementation of building regulations,
resulting to no provision of infrastructural facilities such as storm water drainage and effluent
management.
“All the land that was formerly part of the Lake Naivasha (all the land below the 1906 lake level of
6210 feet (1893.3 m above sea level) was to be utilized by the Riparian Land owners as they saw fit.
Providing that no permanent structures were erected and no claims against Government made, should
the water rise above land developments” (LNRA, 1999).
Over the last decades there was a down going trend in the lake’s water level. As a consequence 1906
lake level seems to be difficult to be reached again, unless the process is reverted. Nevertheless this
alternative boundary resulted important for evaluation because it constituted the original reference
limit established between private owned and riparian land.
This boundary alternative was based on the highest water level lake occupied during the last “El
Niño” phenomena, occurred from November 1997 to March 1998. In the period between 2000 to
around year 2011, the lake water level down going trend was observed again, this lend to farming
activities being practices in the land vacated by the water. In the recent 2015 El Niño”, the lake water
level has risen, resulting to people shifting their farming practice back to their originally provided
boundaries. This differences in the lakes water level has resulted to Kihoto estate various land uses
such as urban agriculture and housing, growing towards and encroaching the riparian reserve, posing
danger to the inhabitants and also on the water quality, because of the fluctuating lake water levels
and no measures have been put in place to protect the riparian area, unlike the blocks placed to secure
the pipeline way-leave in the area.
Due to this development pressure behind the lake’s fringe, conflicts between conservation and
cultivation purposes have occurred. The present situation of push and pull phenomena with nature
should be addressed, through establishing an adaptive strategy rather than a coping strategy in which
the lake and its varying water levels can coexist with the various Kihoto estate land-uses.
This project paper seeks to integrate RS and GIS methods in the assessment of boundary alternatives
to various land uses in Kihoto estate and also obtaining the most acceptable results for all the parties
and land uses involved.
vi | P a g e
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION......................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION............................................................................................................................................ iii
ACKNOLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................. iv
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. v
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ ACRONYMS .......................................................................................... ix
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... x
CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1
1.0 Background to the problem ............................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................................ 3
1.2 Research Questions ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Research Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Research Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Justification of the study .................................................................................................................. 6
1.6 Scope of the study .............................................................................................................................. 8
1.7 Limitations of the study .................................................................................................................. 10
1.8 Research Methodology ................................................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 17
LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 17
2.0 Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 17
2.1 Process of urbanization .................................................................................................................. 17
2.2 The nature of planning in urban areas ......................................................................................... 18
2.3 Causes for informal and uncontrolled settlement development over time ................................ 19
2.4 Issues surrounding land subdivision ............................................................................................. 22
vii | P a g e
2.5 The role of vegetation in maintaining a healthy stream/ lake ..................................................... 22
2.6 What makes riparian areas special? ............................................................................................. 25
2.7 Functions of Riparian Areas for Flood Control ........................................................................... 25
2.8 Development Control ...................................................................................................................... 26
2.9 CASE STUDY ................................................................................................................................. 28
2.9.1 A negotiated framework for rehabilitation of riparian zones in Nairobi city: ....................... 28
2.9.2 Rehabilitation of the lower Jordan River, the case study of Middle East ............................... 29
2.9.3 Water Resources and Riparian Reclamation of Nome Creek.................................................. 31
2.10 LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK .................................................. 33
2.10.1 Legal and Policy framework ..................................................................................................... 33
2.11 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................................ 38
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................. 40
STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................... 40
3.1 Critical information of the study area ........................................................................................... 40
3.2 Location of the Study Area ............................................................................................................ 40
3.3 History of the Study Area ............................................................................................................... 41
3.4 Site Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 44
CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................................... 47
RESEARCH FINDINGS .......................................................................................................................... 48
4.0 Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 48
4.1 Social-Economic characteristics of the respondents .................................................................... 48
4.2 Character of land use change and settlement development towards the riparian reserve ...... 48
4.2.2 Causes of land use change and settlement development in the estate ..................................... 51
4.2.3 Development of high density housing in an environmentally fragile zone .............................. 51
4.2.4 Irregular Street patterns with no provision of basic infrastructure utilities .......................... 52
4.2.5 Encroachment of the riparian reserve ....................................................................................... 54
viii | P a g e
4.3 Effects of land use change and settlement development towards the riparian reserve ............ 56
4.3.1 Poor solid waste and wastewater management ......................................................................... 56
4.3.2 Water Sources pollution .............................................................................................................. 58
4.3.3 Inadequate water supply in the area .......................................................................................... 61
4.3.4 Flooding in some estate’s quarters ............................................................................................. 63
4.4 Different perceptions / views of the riparian reserve ................................................................... 65
CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 67
PLANNING IMPLICATIONS ON THE POTENTIALITY FOR DEVELOPMENT ...................... 67
5.1 Absence of a planning regulatory framework .............................................................................. 67
5.2 Presence of inadequate basic utility infrastructure ..................................................................... 67
5.3 Unmarked riparian reserve boundary .......................................................................................... 67
5.4 Water source contamination from seepages of waste water ....................................................... 68
5.5 Adoption of better land use practices and riparian management planning .............................. 69
5.6 Need to incorporate planning in all phases of the land undergoing subdivision ....................... 69
5.7 Promotion of less development intense land uses around the lake ............................................. 70
CHAPTER SIX ......................................................................................................................................... 71
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMEDATION ......................................................................................... 71
6.1 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 71
6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................ 72
6.3 AREAS OF FURTHER RESEARCH ........................................................................................... 79
REFRENCES ............................................................................................................................................ 80
APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................ 83
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS ............................................................................................................ 84
ix | P a g e
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ ACRONYMS
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
CBD Central Business District
WRMA Water Resource Management Authority
CBO Community Based Organizations
NGOs Non-Government Organizations
LNRA Lake Naivasha Riparian Association
GOK Government of Kenya
KPC Kenya Pipeline Corporation
BMU Beach Management Unit
CDF Constituency Development Fund
EMCA Environment Management and Coordination Act
NEMA National Environment Management Authority
DEAP District Environment Action Plan
NAWASCO Naivasha Water and Sewerage System
PDP Part Development Plan
UTM Universal Transverse Mercator
x | P a g e
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Kihoto estate landuses .......................................................................................................8
Figure 2: Neighbourhood characteristics ..........................................................................................9
Figure 3: Chart of percentage interviewed (n=37) .......................................................................... 14
Figure 4: Summary of the study process adopted ........................................................................... 15
Figure 5: Comparison of Runoff on a Forested Watershed versus a Deforested Watershed........... 24
Figure 6: Location of Mathare Valley in Nairobi Municipality ..................................................... 28
Figure 7: Conceptual Framework .................................................................................................. 39
Figure 8: National and Sub-County level locational context of the Study Area ............................... 41
Figure 9: A Geological map of Naivasha region ................................................................................. 44
Figure 10: Slope Analysis ................................................................................................................ 45
Figure 11: Physiographic profile of Lake Naivasha basin ............................................................... 45
Figure 12: Rainfall distribution Map for Naivasha Basin ..................................................................... 46
Figure 13: Analysis of settlement development and growth towards the riparian reserve ............... 50
Figure 14: Graphical representation on the advantages of living in Kihoto estate........................... 51
Figure 15: High density houses being built as opposed to the low density supposed to be built ....... 52
Figure 16: Graphical representation on problems faced in Kihoto estate ........................................ 53
Figure 17: Settlement development with no provision of drainage facilities .................................... 54
Figure 18: Urban agriculture being practiced along the riparian reserve ....................................... 54
Figure 19: KPC oil pipeline way leave clearly marked to prevent encroachment of the way leave .. 55
Figure 20: Indication of building development adherence to the oil pipeline way leave .................. 55
Figure 21: Chart indicating various household solid waste disposal mechanisms ............................ 56
Figure 22: Solid waste dumping along the road reserve and within the undeveloped land .............. 56
Figure 23: Household wastewater disposal mechanisms ................................................................. 57
Figure 24: Illustration of sources of household wastewater ............................................................. 57
xi | P a g e
Figure 25: Poor wastewater management among the households .................................................... 58
Figure 26: Existing situation of the proximity of the source of water to the pit latrine .................... 59
Figure 27: Approximate land sizes ownership................................................................................. 59
Figure 28: An example of a well maintained (a )& worse off (b) latrines within the estate .............. 60
Figure 29: Sources of domestic water supply .................................................................................. 61
Figure 30: Various sources of water in the estate ............................................................................ 62
Figure 31: Trenches dug to accommodate lake water blown in by the waves .................................. 63
Figure 32: Permanent houses destroyed as a result of floods due to the lake bursting its banks ...... 64
Figure 33: Riparian boundary based on 1906 and 1892 contour levels............................................ 65
Figure 34: Residents’ perception on the riparian reserve ................................................................ 66
Figure 35: Boats waiting for customers to go for boat riding, and fishermen to fishing.................. 69
Figure 36: Concept of Sustainable Development ............................................................................ 72
Figure 37: Actions to revive the riparian reserve ............................................................................ 73
Figure 38: Position of Lake Naivasha in relation to other wetlands lake in Kenya .......................... 83
xii | P a g e
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Data needs matrix ............................................................................................................. 16
Table 2: Legal and Policy framework frame-work review .............................................................. 34
Table 3: Institutional framework review ......................................................................................... 36
Table 4: Sources of lake water pollution ......................................................................................... 60
1 | P a g e
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background to the problem
The term riparian is frequently used to mean the interface between land and a flowing surface
water body. Older and more classical riparian interpretations identify primarily woody vegetation
associated only with lotic (surface of flowing water) systems. More recent interpretations include
a broader view involving both lotic and lentic (sub-surface of flowing water) systems, lentic
systems, surface and sub-surface water influences as well as human–induced activities that affect
the woody and emergent vegetation (Karisa, 2010).
The roles of riparian areas vary from ecological, aesthetic roles, commercial roles to other
general non-consumptive uses. However, since these functions often do not entail large-scale
constructions, such areas have been perceived as underutilized and have been subject to
spontaneous encroachment and illegal occupation, mostly by the urban poor, the case of Kihoto
riparian human settlement and urban agriculture developments.
The growth and expansion of Naivasha town has been expanding outwards overtime. This has
led to the emergence of new estates along the waterbed areas, such as the lake’s riparian reserve.
Kihoto estate is one of such estate to the south eastern side of the town. It is situated in a very
fertile agricultural area bordering Kenya Wildlife Institute. Kihoto area has been a key area as a
source of food especially for horticultural produces, like vegetables and maize, this however is
changing as a result of the change of land-use to residential use, which is encroaching on to the
riparian reserve, and also resulting, to farmers cultivating on these riparian areas.
As more land is converted to urban uses, and human settlements encroaching onto the riparian
reserve, the question arises as to whether this trend represents a systematic reduction in the
ability of the lake to perform its ecological-ecosystem, as an eco-tourism waterbed (Mather,
1986).
In earlier years the estate was properly divided into residential area land use and urban
agriculture land use (with an oil pipeline passing between the estate, helping in demarcating the
extent of the two land uses), with few flower farms located in the area. Over years the urban
agriculture area (Kihoto farms) have undergone marsh rooming of unplanned settlements
2 | P a g e
(resulting to poor provision of sanitation, thus exposing the residents to water borne diseases),
which are encroaching onto the riparian reserve between them and the lake. The former Kihoto
farm used to accommodate a flower farm (Home Grown {EHG}), which resulted to its
employees settling in the Kihoto estate, in addition to other employment opportunities in the
surrounding horticultural farms. After the EHG farm was dissolved, the land on which it settled
is now owned by the community. The estate which has developed on these former Kihoto farms,
suffer from poor waste and storm water management, since storm water from the upper parts of
the town pass through it, while draining to the lake, and the area lacks storm water drainage
facilities.
This has resulted to the estate being at risk of floods that take place when the rising water levels
as a result of faming and settling on the banks of the lake leading to siltation (cutting of
vegetation to build houses has led to soil being carried into the lake), and storm water flowing
through the estate to the lake. The residents are also prone to water borne diseases, especially
from the wells they dig, whose water get contaminated by sewers. This led to the department of
public health closing down over 700 shallow wells in the estate, after 34 cholera cases were
reported, since the wells contained high levels of waste water (Naivasha in a brief,
http://www.sde.co.ke).
Despite presence of LNRA (Lake Naivasha Riparian Association), formed by the landowners
surrounding the lake, whose purpose is to adjudicate the natural lake and riparian covered and
uncovered by the changing level of the water (the riparian land). LNRA has tried to put in place
a management plan (Lake Naivasha Basin Intergrated Plan, 2012) to help and control forces that
threaten the lake’s quality and its purpose to try and implement this plan has been challenged due
to the current problems being experienced, as a result of demographic pressure from the ever
increasing population (Becht R. Odads, E.O and Higgins, 2005).
This thus creates a need to prepare a physical plan that will help actualize the intergenerational
equity and the prevention planning principles, to help resolve the various planning problems
affecting the various land uses in Kihoto estate as a result of change of use from the Kihoto -
farms to the growth of human settlements which are encroaching on to the riparian reserve.
Thus this study will provide a good comparative evaluation of sustainable development and
management of both the riparian reserve and the mush-rooming human settlements around it.
3 | P a g e
1.1 Problem Statement
Water is one of the basic resources in the country and therefore needs to be given the attention it
needs for it to sustain life. It forms part and parcel of human living hence if not conserved there
is going to be dehydration due to inadequacy. Pollution also makes those living around the water
sources be prone to water borne diseases which forms 26 percent of deaths in Kenya (Daily
Nation, 2013).
Over the last decades there was a down going trend in the lake’s water level. As a consequence
1906 lake level seemed to be difficult to be reached again. Nevertheless this alternative boundary
resulted important for evaluation because it constituted the original reference limit established
between private owned and riparian land.
This boundary alternative was based on the highest water level lake occupied during the last “El
Niño” phenomena, occurred from November 1997 to March 1998. In the period between 2000 to
around year 2011, the lake water level down going trend was observed again, this lend to
farming activities being practices in the land vacated by the water. In the recent 2015 El Niño” a
phenomena rain, the lake water level has risen, resulting to people shifting their farming practice
back to their originally provided boundaries. This differences in the lakes water level has
resulted to Kihoto estate various land uses such as urban agriculture and housing, growing
towards and encroaching the riparian reserve, posing danger to the inhabitants and also on the
water quality, because of the fluctuating lake water levels and no measures have been put in
place to protect the riparian area, unlike the blocks placed to secure the pipeline way-leave in the
area.
Due to this development pressure behind the lake’s fringe, conflicts between conservation and
cultivation purposes have occurred. The present situation of push and pull phenomena with
nature should be addressed, through establishing an adaptive strategy rather than a coping
strategy in which the lake and its varying water levels can coexist with the various Kihoto estate
land-uses.
The change of use in the former Kihoto farms, and by the area being located next to the lake,
poses a looming disaster both to lake and the Kihoto estates residents, when environment
degrading activities are operated in the area. This is as a result of the little natural vegetation
left, as over 30% of the land cover has been encroached by illegal farming activities and
4 | P a g e
unplanned settlements. This is slowly resulting to the rise of an informal settlement
encroachment on to the riparian reserve, if a planning act is not initiated early, as a result of this
uncontrolled settlement development taking place.
This riparian stretch along Kihoto estate, unlike other riparian corridors around Lake Naivasha,
experiences pressure from land uses such as dumping of liquid waste and encroachment by
human settlements and illegal farming. The habit of conservation of the riparian reserve has
become a difficult task to undertake due to the human settlement that is emerging towards the
lake riparian reserve, hence its ripple effects being felt around the settlement, such as:
Proliferation of unplanned urban development’s- including emergence of uncoordinated
and unplanned settlements within the estate, resulting to lack of amenities; water,
sanitation and sewerage disposal and waste water management programs, leading to:
1. Poor and ineffective solid waste management systems.
2. Poor effluent/ sewage and waste water management systems.
3. Exposure to floods when the lake burst its banks, as a result of siltation.
Demographic pressure as a result of the increasing population, due to the mash-rooming
flower farms offering employment. This has resulted to the exploitation of the forest
cover and other vegetation, and changing the Kihoto farms to uncoordinated residential
area to provide space for settlement building, which is encroaching onto the riparian
reserve. No planning has being considered in the ongoing subdivision, only surveyors are
being involved in placing the beacons and the mushrooming of the buildings kick-off.
This poses a challenge, hence the phrase “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Negative anthropogenic impacts on lake catchments, leading to uncoordinated and illegal
farming, resulting to environment degradation which leads to flooding in the estate.
All these factors have serious negative implications for people’s livelihoods and environment
around the area.
For Naivasha to fully realize the potential of its natural resources for development, in bid to
maintain it as an Eco-tourism status town, the role of the environment in development and the
social, economic and ecological impacts of the riparian reserve need to be fully understood.
5 | P a g e
1.2 Research Questions
This study seeks to investigate the implications or dangers which the natural environment
undergoes if the necessary services are not provided to the public especially the urban poor
through the following questions:
1. What is the character of land use change and settlement development within the area?
2. What are the impacts of the land use change and settlement development on this stretch
of the riparian reserve and the surrounding land uses?
3. How can the existing situation of push and pull phenomena with nature be rehabilited for
sustainable development of both the Kihoto estate land-uses and the lake’s riparian
reserve?
1.3 Research Objectives
The following are the study objectives:
1. To examine the character of land use change and settlement development towards the
riparian reserve.
1.1 To examine the causes for informal and uncontrolled settlement development
(demand for more living space).
1.2 To identify the major effects of uncontrolled settlement development.
2. To identify associate impacts of the land use change and settlement development.
2.1 To determine the impacts of the growing settlement development on the riparian
reserve.
2.2 To identify the extent of the natural environment degradation by various
anthropogenic acts such as illegal farming in the area.
2.3 To find out how much/ to what extent of the settlement get covered by the floods.
3. To identify an intervention for sustainable development of both the Kihoto estate land-
uses and the riparian reserve.
3.1 To determine the best human settlement development and land-use
pattern for sustainable development of the lake and land use around it.
3.2 To determine the best utilization of the riparian reserve, to prevent future
encroachment.
6 | P a g e
1.4 Research Assumptions
This research study assumes that:
1. This differences in the lakes water level has resulted to Kihoto estate various land uses
such as urban agriculture and housing, growing towards and encroaching the riparian
reserve, posing danger to the inhabitants and also on the water quality, because of the
fluctuating lake water levels and no measures have been put in place to protect the
riparian area, unlike the blocks placed to secure the pipeline way-leave in the area.
2. The encroachment of human settlements and urban agriculture on to the riparian reserve
has been created by poor implementation of development control mechanisms by the
planning authorities.
1.5 Justification of the study
Naivasha town growth has being majorly boosted by the presence of Lake Naivasha, which has
attracted diverse land-uses around it, ranging from conference tourism, urban agriculture and
floriculture farms, thus creating employment opportunities in the area.
However, moderating this urban development has been a challenge, since the town lacks policy
guidelines to control this growth. The only plan that existed in the area was a Part Development
Plan (PDP) that only covered the town’s Central Business District. In the year 2000, a zonal plan
was prepared for the whole town, but whose implementation is yet to be seen.
Areas surrounding the lake are unique and valuable ecosystem to nature. This is because any
activities being carried out in such areas have effects on the natural environment (the lake),
who’s ripple effects are felt by the people residing on these areas, in this case the Kihoto estate.
Previous research done in the area, indicate establishment of many flower farms that have
simultaneously encouraged the growth and development of settlements that house their
employees. Unfortunately, many of these are developments without proper planning and lack
basic infrastructure. Resulting to poor waste disposal methods, which have and will contribute to
water pollution especially if the settlements continue to develop near the lake (Mbathi, 2001).
From this statement it creates a need to plan for sustainable co-existence of natural environment
and the people living around it.
In addition, Kihoto estate acts as both the human gate-way to the lake - that is access to the lake,
and solid waste and wastewater gate-way to the lake- that is waste being carried into the lake
7 | P a g e
water, thus contributing to its pollution among other factors. This has been encouraged by
settlements that have emerged over time since the year 2001, thus calling for a need to provide
for an adoptive approach to resolve problems being experienced.
Thus the absence of the planning regulatory framework in the area has resulted to an un-
sustainable development in the area. Kihoto estate especially being on the limelight since it acts
as a gateway to the most important feature of Naivasha town, Lake Naivasha. Due to this
uncontrolled development, incidences of riparian land grabbing{exposé on the KARI land
grabbing} and the “my land my property” perspective, in addition to the presence of unmarked
riparian land boundaries, poses a challenge to the sustainability of the lake in ensuring the town
continues to preserve its ecotourism town identity.
In light of the above it’s clear that the development pressure behind the lake’s fringe, conflicts
between conservation and cultivation purposes have occurred. The present situation of push and
pull phenomena with nature should be addressed, through establishing an adaptive strategy
rather than a coping strategy in which the lake and its varying water levels can coexist with the
various Kihoto estate land-uses.
8 | P a g e
1.6 Scope of the study
Figure 1: Kihoto estate landuses
The site to be covered is approximately 82.022Acres. It stretches from the land abutting the Naivasha- Mai Mahiu road right into Lake
Naivasha waters. The real population is approximately 20,000 people (Source: Municipal Council of Naivasha).
The study focuses on: the analysis of character of human settlement development, associate impacts of the human settlement development,
land use activities and their organization on space adjacent to the lake riparian reserve, impacts of the various land-use developments on this
stretch of the riparian reserve and the surrounding land uses. The following map illustrates the various landuses found in the area.
Source: AutoCAD and GIS Analysis, 2016
9 | P a g e
Figure 2: Neighbourhood characteristics
Housing typologies in the area ranging from row
houses to bungalow which are permitted in the zone.
There is also emergence of high density housing which
pose a risk in the environmentally fragile area.
Urban agriculture practiced
around the riparian reserve.
Economically unutilized lake shore
leading to degradation of the riparian
reserve.
10 | P a g e
This research project is organized into six chapters; the first chapter focuses on the introduction
which entails, problem statement, statement of the research question and objectives, and the
statement of the research methodology.
The second chapter entails review of relevant literature regarding, previous written literature,
grey literature, legal and policy review, and institutional framework.
The third chapter covers the study; it explains various attributes regarding the study area such as;
physiographic characteristics, and land-use activity change in the study area over time.
The fourth chapter presents the field survey findings, chapter five covers the planning
implications of the existing situation in the area, while the sixth chapter which is the last chapter,
covers the summary, conclusion, and recommendations viable for implementation, in the
development project phase.
1.7 Limitations of the study
This study was carried out in an area where land is a critical issue so obtaining data was
difficult due to suspicion from the residents.
The process of data collection and analysis is also time consuming and tiresome.
Some of the respondents may not be willing to respond due to their hostility hence
inadequate of primary data.
Unfavorable weather conditions reducing the morale and the time spend on data
collection.
Unavailability or unreliable up-to-date data secondary data. Reliance on data sets of
previous enumerations can be obsolete whereby various changes might have occurred
like migration and making decisions based on them can be misguiding and inappropriate
in the present.
Hard to distinguishing the boundaries of some phenomena such as informality of some
aspects is not universal hence wrong categorization.
11 | P a g e
1.8 Research Methodology
The research methodology used, has been designed to achieve each research objective of the
study, which aims to establish the challenges of landuse change and settlement growth on Lake
Naivasha riparian reserve.
1.8.1 Research Design
The research design applied is mixed method research design. Mixed methods research takes
advantage of using multiple ways to explore a research problem. The following stages have been
followed, in bid to seek answers to the research questions of this study under the mixed method
research design:
A. Literature Review
This chapter focuses on the revision of the existing written materials which support the study and
provide justification to the actions of the research carried out. This part addresses issues relating
to emergence of riparian informal settlements and their historical background, issues relating to
anthropogenic acts and their effects to the natural environment (riparian reserves), planning
issues relating to urban areas development, case studies and review of legal and institutional
framework.
B. Field Survey
Field reconnaissance was done to familiarize with the area of study, which was later followed by
field visit to collect data. Various relevant offices and government institutions were visited to get
the needed information.
The data collected in the field survey included; observation done on causes and effects of the
uncontrolled settlement development onto the riparian reserve, land use conflicts brought about
by the encroachment on the riparian and change of land use and their impacts on the
sustainability of the lake. Direct measurements on the ground of different variables such as; the
widths of the both the encroached and the remaining riparian reserve, pattern of land subdivision
and the plot sizes (both the new unplanned spaces and the planned spaces).
12 | P a g e
C. Data collection
Data required for the study was collected from various sources, which include:
Review of existing literature on books, journals and grey literature, followed by primary data
collection which involved; administration of household questionnaires, institutional and key
informant interviews, observation, check lists and photographs.
D. Data Analysis
The data collected from various sources was analyzed and synthesized to answer the research
questions sought by this study.
E. Research Compilation
After data from the field survey was analyzed, the research findings were complied, to help in
drawing with conclusions, which helped in arriving at various recommendations to help remedy
the problems resulting from uncontrolled settlement development around the riparian reserve.
1.8.2 Data collection methods and techniques
This involved collection of both qualitative and quantitative data needed to assess the situation
on the ground as far as the uncontrolled settlement development and the riparian reserve is
concerned. Various methods and techniques were used to collect data, which depended on the
nature of the data and information required. The following are the methods and techniques that
were used:
A. Research on secondary sources/ content analysis
This involved review of existing written sources of data such as books, journals, documentaries,
reports from various international and local forums among others in search of information and
ideas on the riparian reserves within urban areas.
B. Observation
This involved a participatory method of touring the study area and viewing the existing situation
and collection of important data through taking of photographs and sketching of important
features within the study area. Instruments such as cameras and measuring equipments were
used. Data collected using this technique included; the causes and effects of the uncontrolled
settlement development onto the riparian reserve, land use conflicts brought about by the
13 | P a g e
encroachment on the riparian and change of land use and their impacts on the sustainability of
the lake.
C. Interviews
This involved making face to face inquiries with the household heads and various stakeholders
involved in the management and conservation of Lake Naivasha riparian reserve as well as
getting their ideas towards its sustainable development. Interview schedules were be used as
instruments to record this data.
D. Administration of questionnaires
This involved administration of semi-structured questions to households and to other land users
within the area. Questionnaires were also administered to the institutions involved in the
management and conservation of the lake’s riparian reserve.
1.8.3 Sampling Method
Sampling refers to selection of a representative population out of the whole population of the
study area. The target population for the research was the residents of Kihoto estate. Sampling
was therefore used to select respondents in the collection of data from the households. This
sampling was important because the data obtained here represented the characteristics of the
whole population of Kihoto people. This also saved the time needed for data collection since
only a small population out of the entire population was taken into account.
Required Sample Size
n = (Z^2 x S^2) / E^2
Where Z is the confidence level coefficient, S is the given population standard deviation
and E is the sampling error.
Example: During the Kihoto data collection exercise, the sampling was done at 99% confidence
level, allowing a sampling error of not more than one, given a population standard deviation of
2.36. The required sample size will be
Z = 100% - 99% = 1% / 2 = 0.005
0.005 = a Z score value of 2.58 (figure obtained from Normal curve table)
n = (Z^2 x S^2) / E^2
n = (2.58^2 x 2.36^2) / 1^2 = 37
14 | P a g e
The required sample size is n= 37, which was used to collect data in Kihoto estate.
This sample size is also justified, since the estate has around 7125 households (Naivasha
Municipal council, 2012), thus representing 0.52%which was considered good enough.
This research applied stratified sampling method (since population is characterized as
heterogeneous but consist of a number of homogeneous sub-populations or strata, (Mbeche,
2001) to distribute the questionnaires. The 37 questionnaires used were divided into three stratas;
one strata being on the area adjacent to Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road towards the pipeline reserve
(allocated 5 questionnaires), the second was the area bordering the oil pipeline reserve towards
the boundary or extent of the former Kihoto farms (land undergoing fragmentation (12
questionnaires)), and the third strata was the area neighboring the lake riparian land reserve (20
questionnaires).
Simple random sampling was later used to indentify respondents in each of the three stratas
formulated.
The percentages of population interviewed in the respective clusters during the field survey in
Kihoto estate is as per the chart shown below. Purposive sampling was used for the key
informants in this research.
They included; the area chief,
NGOs and CBOs leaders in
the area, business owners and
government officials from the
Municipal council of
Naivasha, Private Surveyor
involved in the subdivision of
the land and the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment.
Figure 3: Chart of percentage interviewed (n=37)
1.8.4 Data analysis
This involved activities to input, store and analyze the collected data. It entailed data coding,
inputting, editing and validation. Here computer softwares such as Microsoft office, SPSS, GIS
and AutoCAD were used to come up with accurate and up to date data on Lake Naivasha-
Kihoto riparian reserve corridor.
15 | P a g e
To be able to ensure this was achieved, there was a preparation of data needs matrix to show the
sources of data, methods of analysis, ways of presentation and data types based on the objectives
of the study, as analyzed in the table below:
The following chart summarizes the study process adopted and the final output obtained:
Identification of the study problems
Identification of the study objectives
Formulation of the data needs
Identification of data sources
Primary data sources Secondary data sources
Quantitative Data Qualitative Data
Determination of
Sample size
Administration of questionnaires
and data check-lists
Statistical analysis
Interview schedules, direct
observation and photography
Literature Review
Content analysis
Data processing and analysis
Data and Report presentation
Figure 4: Summary of the study process adopted
16 | P a g e
Research Objectives Data Needs Form of Data Source of Data Analysis (Output)
To examine the
character of human
settlement
development
1. Identification of the
causes for the
uncontrolled settlement
development.
2. Identification of
effects of the
uncontrolled settlement
development on to the
riparian corridor.
Qualitative and
Quantitative data
Field survey and
consultation of the
various institutions and
use of secondary data
sources
The subdivision and
riparian reserve
encroachment trend and
pattern overtime.
To indentify associate
character and impacts
of the human
settlement
development
Examine land use
conflicts brought about
dueto this encroachment,
and assessment of their
positive & negative
impacts on the
sustainability of the lake.
Qualitative and
Quantitative data
Observations
Interviews
Photographing
Secondary sources
Effects of the
uncontrolled
development.
To indentify an
intervention for
sustainable
development of both
the Kihoto estate land-
uses and the riparian
reserve.
1. To determine the best
human-settlement
development and land-
use pattern for
sustainable development
of the lake and land use
around it.
2. Determination of the
best utilization of the
riparian reserve, to
prevent future
encroachment.
Qualitative and
Quantitative data
Questionnaires
Interviews
Secondary sources
Analysis and
establishing of efforts by
various stakeholders and
their respective areas of
focus with regard to
human settlement and
riparian reserve
management.
Table 1: Data needs matrix
17 | P a g e
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Overview
This chapter focuses on the revision of the existing written materials which support the study and
provide justification to the actions of the research carried out. This part addresses issues relating
to emergence of riparian informal settlements and their historical background, issues relating to
anthropogenic acts and their effects to the natural environment (riparian reserves), planning
issues relating to urban areas development, case studies and review of legal and institutional
framework.
2.1 Process of urbanization
This can be defined in two ways the first definition is the process of moving from rural areas to
urban centers. The second is the process of towns growing to become urbanized. Various
theories were developed to explain the process of urbanization. These theories include the central
place theory, location theory, and the core-periphery. All these try to explain the growth of urban
centers.
As for Naivasha, it was established as a railway outpost in the early 1900’s. During this period,
the town experienced slow growth. It served as divisional headquarters and Lake Naivasha acted
as an Airstrip during the 1940-1950’s. During the independence era, Africans immigrated to the
town. Some land was transferred to local communities by some settlers i.e. Kihoto settlement.
The town developed within the leasehold land (Old town) set apart for town development.
There were major shifts and transfers in land ownership in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Land
subdivision was undertaken on large company and cooperative farms, where there was provision
of public housing by the then county council through site and service schemes (Otiang’a , 2007).
Emergence of flower farming along the lakeshores occurred during this period. This accelerated
immigration due to increased employment opportunities. In addition, there were conservation
initiatives and declaration of Lake Naivasha as a protected area (RAMSAR site). In this period,
there was inefficient development control.
This led to subdivision of the former agricultural Kihoto estate into residential land. This over
time due to the ever increasing population has resulted to these human settlements stretching
18 | P a g e
illegally on to the lakes riparian reserve area. This can be said to be the historical root for the
growth of riparian informal settlement, in this case Kihoto estate.
2.2 The nature of planning in urban areas
Planning is crucial to the development of the current society. Most African towns are still
organized according to development plans that were drafted by the white settlers. This has
affected the condition in various urban areas, since the plans were prepared based on the small
population that existed by then. Population increase has been a major drawback to such plans.
The influx of urban poor into cities and inadequate planning and lack of employment
opportunities are said to be one of the causes of urban poverty. Most of the informal settlements
areas lack development plans due to issues of tenure, legality and conflict of interest in such
areas.
The culture of planning has been encouraged in the societies since it is one of the key elements
of development. Planning guides the use of space and facilitates protection of places of great
ecological importance, such as riparian reserves. Physical planning exercises provide a forum in
which the interests of multiple stakeholders as well as the physical, social, and economic
constraints on land uses can be debated and balanced (UN-HABITAT, 2012).
The ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor is symbolized by the disparity in the
quality of the living environment. This is reflected in the contrasting urban a form, for example
Lakeview estate which initially was agricultural lands same as Kihoto estate, is developing in a
coordinated and planned manner. Proper urban planning is the key to bridging the urban divide
and is an essential tool to make Naivasha an environmentally friendly and safe for all eco-tourist
town.
In Kenya, planning systems and decisions often protect the interests of the rich or are limited to
beautification and decoration of urban spaces. In many towns, planning systems and processes
are still largely based on colonial laws, designed to support spatial segregation and population
control. They fail to reflect the need and priorities of urban residents.
The urban model promoted has proved both unaffordable and inadequate for catering to the
diversity of ways of life and needs of developing towns and in the case of this study Naivasha.
In the developed world, urban planning was originally conceived as a tool for the development of
newly industrializing cities. Today cities in many developed countries have to contend with
19 | P a g e
processes of de-industrialization and shrinking population. Moreover, city forms which were
proposed as progressive and more efficient are under increased criticism for the patterns of
consumption they command, in the face of growing awareness of environmental conservation.
The failures of planning to come to terms with informality and poverty, has partly to be blamed
for the failure of towns as engines of economic growth and absorbers of surplus labor from rural
areas. This results to ecological crisis, which installs a vicious cycle of poverty
(http:www.informalsettlementsdevelopmentinAfrica).
For urban planning to play a positive role in urban development, it needs to assess and reinvent
itself, through a serious analysis on the new context of urban planning and the responses it can
offer to challenges of uncontrolled and uncoordinated developments around land uses near lakes
riparian reserves, especially in urban areas.
2.3 Causes for informal and uncontrolled settlement development over time
The enormous urbanisation rate, together with the inability of the government to meet the high
demand for building land in the formal way of land application, results in the developing of
informal settlements (Harper D.M and Happold E, 2003).
Most of the informal settlements are characterized by a dysfunctional settlement structure as
explained before. By law it is the task of the governmental institutions to provide the towns with
layout plans to supply the stream of rural migrants with surveyed land. The causes for informal
settlement development are discussed below:
2.3.1 Population Growth
The first and foremost reason of urban growth is increase in urban population. Rapid growth of
urban areas is the result of two population growth factors:
(1) Natural increase in population, and
(2) Migration to urban areas.
Natural population growth results from excess of births over deaths.
Migration is defined as the long-term relocation of an individual, household or group to a new
location outside the community of origin. In the recent time, the movement of people from rural
to urban areas within the country (internal migration) is most significant.
20 | P a g e
Internal migration is often explained in terms of either push factors—conditions in the place of
origin which are perceived by migrants as detrimental to their wellbeing or economic security,
and pull factors—the circumstances in new places that attract individuals to move there.
Examples of push factors include high unemployment and political persecution: examples of pull
factors include job opportunities or better living facilities. Typically, a pull factor initiates
migration that can be sustained by push and other factors that facilitate or make possible the
change.
In general, towns are perceived as places where one could have a better life: because of better
opportunities, higher salaries, better services, and better lifestyles.
The perceived better conditions attract poor people from rural areas. People move into urban
areas mainly to seek economic opportunities. In rural areas, often on small family farms, it is
difficult to improve one’s standard of living beyond basic sustenance.
Rural living is dependent on unpredictable environmental conditions, and during of drought,
flood or pestilence, survival becomes extremely problematic.
Towns, in contrast, are known to be places where money, services and wealth are centralised.
Towns are places where fortunes are made and where social mobility is possible. Businesses that
generate jobs and capitals are usually located in urban areas.
The rapid growth of towns strains their capacity to provide services such as energy, education,
health care, transportation, sanitation, and physical security. Since governments have less
revenue to spend on the basic upkeep of towns and the provision of services, thus making towns
areas of serious environmental problems.
2.3.2 Economic Growth
Expansion of economic base (increase in number of working areas-flower farms) creates demand
for new housing or more housing space for individuals.
This also encourages many developers for rapid construction of new houses. Rapid development
of housing and other urban infrastructure often produces a variety of discontinuous uncorrelated
developments. Rapid development is also blamed owing to its lack of time for proper planning
and coordination among developers, governments and proponents.
21 | P a g e
2.3.3 Lack of Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are
deemed ‘affordable’ to those that have a median household income. A common measure of
community-wide affordability is the number of homes that a household with a certain percentage
of median income can afford (Mitullah W., 2003).
Lack of affordable housing within towns forces people to set their residences in areas, will
inadequate or lack thereof of basic infrastructure facilities.
2.3.4 Demand of More Living Space
However, consumption of more living space not always causes growth of informal settlement.
Population density is a major concern in this issue. Therefore, higher per capita consumption of
built-up area (or living space) is desired in many instances. In such cases, higher per capita
consumption of living space may indicate better and extended living facilities within the confines
of compact urban growth.
However, if the demand of more living space forces rapid low-density development in the area
then it must be an indication of slowly developing informal settlement. This is vividly being
experienced in the former Kihoto farms, where subdivision of these farms is being undertaken to
provide space for residential areas.
2.3.5 Lack of Proper Planning Policies
Lack of consistent and well-experimented planning policies may also cause informal settlement
growth. A town may be planned with exclusive zoning policies; this means separation of
residential, commercial, industrial, office, institutional, or other land uses.
Completely separate zoning created isolated areas of each type of development.
A mixed land-use policy is preferred to fight against rapid encroachments of these growing
informal settlements onto riparian reserves.
2.3.6 Failure to Enforce Planning Policies
Having a proper planning policy is not enough, rather its successful implementation and
enforcement is more important. Unsuccessful enforcement of land-use plans is one of the reasons
of growth of informal settlements in developing countries.
22 | P a g e
2.3.7 Urbanization
Along with the high natural growth rate of the urban population, the urbanization process which
has led to the rapid growth of the Naivasha Town is one of the most significant demographic
phenomena that have been experienced in the recent years.
2.4 Issues surrounding land subdivision
The subdivision process is a necessary part of land development to ensure that the allotments
created by subdivision are suitable for their anticipated use. Its principal feature is that it
produces a framework of property rights and land ownership which assists subsequent
development, activities and conservation.
Importantly, it also provides the framework for the provision of essential services such as roads,
water supply, sewage disposal, telecommunication, storm-water and waste systems, which is not
the case of the land-use change and subdivision in the former Kihoto farms.
Future patterns of land use are strongly influenced by the subdivision process, in turn having a
significant role in determining the character and associated amenity values of the environment.
Increased subdivision often leads to increased levels of activity and density of built development,
particularly in an urban context, and the associated increases in traffic generation and demand for
services. It can also increase the risks associated with the potential exposure to natural hazards,
and can affect wider environmental values associated with landscape, vegetation, and other
significant natural and cultural features.
2.5 The role of vegetation in maintaining a healthy stream/ lake
Although people value trees and other plants along a stream for their contribution to the beauty
of the landscape, the vegetation in a watershed, especially in the streamside or riparian area,
plays a critical role in providing for a healthy stream system. This streamside, plant community
serves to maintain the lake-line landscape and moderate conditions within the aquatic ecosystem.
As rainfall runs off the landscape, riparian vegetation slows the rate of runoff; captures excess
nutrients carried from the land; protects stream banks and floodplains from the erosive force of
water; and regulates water temperature changes.
2.5.1 Vegetation’s erosion and pollution prevention capabilities
Riparian vegetation serves as a buffer for the stream against activities on upland areas. Most
human activities or example, agriculture, development, or recreation, can result in disturbances
23 | P a g e
that can negatively impact the unprotected stream. Riparian vegetation captures and stores
pollutants in overland flow from upland sources, such as salt from roadways and excess
fertilizers from lawns and cropland. The width, density, and structure of the riparian vegetation
community are important characteristics of the buffer also affect how well it works in the
watershed.
On bare soils, high stream flows can result in bank erosion and overbank flow can cause soil
erosion and scour on the floodplain. The roots of vegetation along the bank hold the soil and
shield against these erosive flows. On the floodplain, vegetation slows flood flows, reducing the
energy of water and its potential to cause erosion and scour. Furthermore, as vegetation slows the
water, the fine sediment and soil suspended in the water has more chance to settle on the
floodplain (rather than carried be carried away by the stream).
2.5.2 Vegetation’s hydrological influences
Vegetation intercepts rainfall and slows runoff, increasing the amount of precipitation that
infiltrates the soil and reduces overland runoff. This helps to decrease the occurrence of
destructive flash floods, lowers the height of flood waters, and extends the duration of the runoff
event. These benefits are evident in forested watersheds when compared to watersheds of similar
size which have high levels of urban development (Figure below). The reduction in flood stage
and duration also results in fewer disturbances to the stream banks and floodplains.
24 | P a g e
2.5.3 Human disturbance and its effects on riparian vegetation
Although natural events disrupt growth and succession of riparian vegetation growth, human
activities frequently transform the environmental and, as a result, can have long lasting impact on
the capability of vegetation to survive and function.
Presently, the most significant sources of human disturbance on riparian vegetation in include the
construction and maintenance of roadway infrastructure, the maintenance of utility lines, and the
development of homes and gardens near the lake and its floodplain.
2.5.4 Residential Development Influence
Residential land use and development of new homes can have a great impact on the watershed
and the ecology of the riparian area. Houses require access roads and utility lines that frequently
have to cross the stream.
Homeowners clear trees and shrubs to provide access and space to build. Following this clearing,
the lake bank begins to erode, the channel over-widens and shallows. The wide, shallow
condition results in greater bed-load deposition and increases stress on the unprotected bank.
Figure 5: Comparison of Runoff on a Forested Watershed versus a Deforested Watershed.
Source: Illustration by P. Eskeli 2002, from Watershed Hydrology, P.E. Black,1991, Prentice
Hall, page 202, 214.
25 | P a g e
Eventually stream alignment may change and begin to cause flooding to the already built
settlement, a condition being experienced in Kihoto estate.
2.6 What makes riparian areas special?
Healthy riparian areas possess several unique functions and provide important ecosystem
services and benefits to society including:
2.6.1 Water Quality Functions
(Sediment, nutrients, flows and temperature)
Improve water quality by trapping sediment, sediment-bound nutrients and other
contaminants from surface runoff before they reach the water and downstream water
users.
Reduce the velocity of sediment-bearing storm flows, allowing sediments to settle out of
water and be deposited on land instead of being carried to the lake.
Help prevent eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems
Shade and cover provided by riparian vegetation can moderate water temperature in the
lake.
2.6.2 Flood Water Conveyance and Storage
Riparian areas reduce peak flows and flooding. As flood water flows through a vegetated
area, the plants resist the flow and dissipate the energy, increasing the time available for
water to infiltrate into the soil and be stored for use by plants.
The water that is stored in shallow groundwater aquifers helps maintain stream flow (and
water quality) during low flow periods.
2.6.3 Bank and Shoreline Stabilization
Deep-rooted, native plants protect shorelines by reducing bank erosion, bank failure, sediment
transport, and loss of valuable lands.
2.7 Functions of Riparian Areas for Flood Control
How riparian areas provide flood control
Naturally vegetated riparian areas (uplands as well as floodplains) serve a number of beneficial
functions for flood control. An undeveloped, vegetated floodplain reduces the force, height and
volume of floodwaters by allowing them to spread out horizontally and relatively harmlessly
across the floodplain.
26 | P a g e
Water that floods into vegetated floodplains reenters the main channel slowly, enabling it to be
soaked up by the "sponge" of floodplain wetland soils and streamside forest leaf litter. Living,
decaying and dead vegetation on riparian lands that falls or extends into the water provides
numerous barriers against moving water, which slows it down so water is not delivered
downstream as quickly. Such vegetation also intercepts and detains runoff from adjacent upland
areas that would otherwise flow directly into rivers and exacerbate flooding conditions
downstream.
The root systems of streamside forest and emergent aquatic vegetation keep pores of the soil
open so that two to three times more water can infiltrate the soil compared to lands used for
cultivation or grazing.
In addition, trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in riparian areas use large amounts of water in
transpiration, which, in effect, transfers floodwaters to the atmosphere. Several thousand gallons
per acre of water are used by plants each day, thereby drying the soil and making more room in
the "soil sponge" for floodwater. The combined effect of all of these functions is a significant
reduction in peak flows and flooding downstream. Naturally vegetated riparian forests thus help
prevent thousands of dollars in property damage and prevent the need for man-made flood
control measures and structures.
2.8 Development Control
Development control refers to the structuring of the usage of land to reduce conflict. It entails
allowing development to a level that is not injurious, by administering development in
conformity with defined guidelines as stipulated by an operational plan and other policy
provisions (PPA, Cap 286).
2.8.1 Land use zoning
Zoning is a practice in urban land use planning, which is widely used by municipal local
governments and boards, for the implementation of development applications, under clearly
established land use development guidelines, policy and standard criteria.
In practice, zoning is used to prevent new developments from interfering with the existing land
use activities and the already established pattern of development.
Zoning as a development control regulatory instruments can be classified into the following four
broad categories:
27 | P a g e
i. Restrictive zoning:
Restrictive zoning is the most common method of development control, where development
restrictions are placed on new constructions. Such as; building and land use, and building height.
ii. Indicative zoning:
Indicative zoning is that which instructs people on the form of urban development to be taken. It
is usually done in two stages:
Development is proposed for an urban area through a master plan adopted by
the community
To help implement the project, zoning controls are established to conform to
the plan
iii. Incentive zoning:
Incentive zoning provides benefits to developers if they give benefits to the public in return. The
incentives come in form of bonus to the developers such as allowing the project an additional
space, if the developer promises to build a public amenity.
iv. Performance zoning:
Performance zoning replaces the rigid list of requirements describing what cannot be done in a
specific zone. A set of urban design criteria that must be met by any urban developer is
established. The developer is then evaluated against these performance criteria, such as technical
aspects like lighting and views.
2.8.2 Subdivision regulations
Subdivision refers to the division of a parcel of land into two or more lots, for the purpose,
whether immediate or future, of sale or of building development (SCPEA, 2009).
Subdivision regulations are locally adopted laws governing the process of converting raw land
into building sites. They control the physical layout of new development by establishing
standards such as width and length of streets and sites, and adequate space for public facilities
and services.
28 | P a g e
2.9 CASE STUDY
2.9.1 A negotiated framework for rehabilitation of riparian zones in Nairobi city:
The case of Mathare river valley
Overview
Mathare Valley is located on the northeastern part of the city of Nairobi, approximately three
kilometers from the city’s central business district. The entire valley measures approximately 73
hectares spanning two divisions, namely Mathare and Kasarani. The Mathare and Gitathuru
tributaries of Nairobi River traverse the valley to form a confluence on the lower part; they are
central to the valley’s economic profile. The valley features a number of informal settlements,
most of which are mainly squeezed along the Mathare riparian reserve while the rest are located
between Mathare and Gitathuru River.
Mathare Valley is structurally a flood
plain along the Nairobi River; the soils
are a mixture of black cotton and
alluviums, with isolated patches of red
clays thus making some parts relatively
unstable in terms of bearing capacity.
Mathare valley generally slopes from
west to east but also towards the river
channel. About 30% of the informal
settlement falls within the thirty-meter
riparian reserve.
The valley also features pockets that
were formerly quarry sites and are now characterized by steep river banks that remain unsettled
due to the steep gradients.
Figure 6: Location of Mathare Valley in Nairobi Municipality
29 | P a g e
Lessons learnt
1. Wetland degradation is an international problem. Just like is the case of Lake Naivasha
riparian suffering from issues such as encroachment by settlement development, being at
risk of discharge of sewerage products and wastes and surface run off. This means that
ideas of restoration can be viewed in the same way and there should be borrowing of
ideas from one country to another.
2. Another lesson is that the issue of environmental conservation is not just the
responsibility of the state but everyone’s responsibility. Restoration of Lake Naivasha
riparian reserve should therefore not be viewed as the responsibility of the Government
or the residents but all the institutions and residents should join hands to ensure that the
river riparian reserve is sustainably developed for the benefit of all.
3. Environmental issues are currently global problems because we can see the international
community’s joining hands with the affected countries to help in the conservation of the
environment, this has resulted to inclusion of SDG No.14 aimed at “conserve and
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”.
2.9.2 Rehabilitation of the lower Jordan River, the case study of Middle East
Overview
The Environmental Flows Study was undertaken in the 2009 hydrological year and examined the
characteristics of the Lower Jordan River in its current state and its original state before large
scale human intervention. The current river state was evaluated by undertaking hydrological,
botanical and biological surveys at a number of selected sites over the winter and summer
seasons of 2009, while the original state was investigated by reviewing historical records of the
river data. During the last century the Lower Jordan River has undergone severe alteration due to
the impacts of industrialization, diversion of the fresh water and the continual expansion of
agricultural and urban regions. These impacts have resulted into radical changes to the river’s
morphology and hydrology. The river’s health has declined dramatically, with flow reduction of
98% and the water becoming increasingly saline with high pollutant levels. Consequently, the
Lower Jordan River in-stream and riparian habitat characteristics have changed dramatically.
The water quality and flow of the Lower Jordan River has been negatively affected by a series of
hydraulic projects conducted by Israel, Jordan and Syria over the past several decades. Currently,
30 | P a g e
the water in the Lower Jordan River is comprised of saline spring water, untreated sewage water,
agricultural farm runoff, fish ponds outflows, ground water flow, and surface runoff during
winter. The experts who took part in the rehabilitation came from Palestine, Israel, Jordan and
international participants. These parties were involved in sampling various points of the river and
in the end came up with a river rehabilitation which was presented to the organization Friends of
Middle East for Approval and adoption by the three countries i.e Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
Lessons learnt
1. Lakes, rivers and watershed degradation are an international problem. This means that
ideas of restoration can be viewed in the same way and there should be borrowing of
ideas from one country to another.
2. Environmental conservation is not just the responsibility of the state but everyone’s
responsibility. The three affected countries in the rehabilitation of Lower Jordan River
joined hands and mobilized resources towards restoration of the river which they all
benefit from. Restoration of Lake Naivasha riparian reserve should therefore not be
viewed as the responsibility of the Government or the residents but all the institutions and
residents should join hands to ensure that the lake riparian reserve is sustainably
developed for the benefit of all.
3. Environmental issues are currently global problems because we can see the international
community’s joining hands with the affected countries to help in the conservation of the
environment.
31 | P a g e
2.9.3 Water Resources and Riparian Reclamation of Nome Creek
Case study of White Mountains National Recreation Area, Alaska
Overview
In June 1989, the BLM began water resources monitoring and inventory on Nome Creek in
preparation for a riparian reclamation and stream channel reconstruction project. The intent was
to collect data useful in reconstruction of the stream within a single channel, to eliminate the
unstable debris piles and settling ponds that contributed to excessive sediment runoff, as well as
stabilizing and revegetating the floodplain. The reclamation techniques developed here could
then be useful for other placer mining reclamation.
Reclamation of Nome creek
The basin characteristics used for the flood-recurrence calculations were estimated from
topographic maps. Reclamation work commenced in July 1991 and continued almost every
summer to the present. A D8 or larger tracked bulldozer was used exclusively most years,
although an excavator was tried one summer. The channel construction was more difficult than
anticipated, as the center of the valley held silt-rich, saturated soils, thought to be buried by
settling ponds. In general, construction began with filling in of the settling ponds using material
from surrounding tailing piles and then grading the area as flat as possible. A pilot channel was
then dug, avoiding the filled-in ponds and the meandering points. Recommendations included:
1. Continue the reclamation work until the entire creek is consolidated into a single channel and
all the unstable debris piles are reorganized into a well-graded and completely a flood plain with
vegetation.
2. Continue to collect, analyze, and publish stream-gagging, water quality, and botanical data,
not only for the reclamation work on the upper creek, but also for the in stream flow project on
the lower portion of the stream.
32 | P a g e
Lessons learnt
1. All projects have challenges but if the right resources and right effort is put forth,
whatever form of rehabilitation will be possible. What matters in a project is not how
long it takes to be completed but how much effort is put forth towards its completion.
The Nome creek project was faced by several difficulties especially during excavation
until at time machinery were changed but continuous monitoring and hard work led to its
completion no matter how long it took.
2. If the right resources are directed towards the right project and is directed towards
environmental conservation then there is high possibility of other developments being
successful. One development project always acts as a pilot to other development
activities. Like in the case of Nome creek the river reclamation was supposed to support
placer mining reclamation. Most developed countries value environmental conservation.
Reclamation of the lakes riparian reserve always makes lakes economically viable. This
can be seen in the Nome creek reclamation where the problems of the river caused
disasters were reduced and the money which could have been used for disaster
management was diverted to help in the development of other sectors of the economy. In
the Kenyan case once the riparian reserve is rehabilitated the money directed to pay for
environmental degradation known as polluter pay principle can be used to develop other
areas in the economy which needs to be developed. The money used for supply of water
will also be directed elsewhere. Rehabilitation also reinstates the beauty of the lakes
riparian reserve.
33 | P a g e
2.10 LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
There is a growing concern in Kenya and at global level that many forms of development
activities cause damage to the environment. This has been aggravated by lack of awareness and
inadequate information amongst the public on the consequences of their interaction with the
environment. In addition there is limited local communities‟ involvement in participatory
planning and management of the environment and natural resources (Omoke, 2011).
In bid to recognize the importance of natural resources and the environment, the government has
put in place wide range of policy, legislative and institutional framework to address the major
causes of environmental degradation and negative impacts on natural environment emanating
from residential development, especially along riparian reserve, as summarized below:
2.10.1 Legal and Policy framework
Legislation includes the constitution and other laws drafted and adopted by the parliament,
prepared to help regulate and control the planning process. This part will involve review of these
documents which provide legal support to the lake’s riparian reserve conservation.
34 | P a g e
ACT / POLICY LAW APPLICATION RELEVANCE TO THE STUDY AREA
County
Governments Act
(2012)
1. This act stresses on the need for citizen participation as a
key feature in decision making.
2. County planning should be aimed at protection and
development of natural resources in a manner that aligns
the national and the county government and engendering
effective resource mobilization for sustainable
development.
1. This research will therefore be done in consultation with the
people of Kihoto estate.
2. It will address the major causes and solution to, environmental
degradation and negative impacts on natural environment,
emanating from various developments along the riparian reserve.
Urban Areas and
Cities Act (2011)
1. The Act identifies the role of the urban boards as
promotion of clean and safe environment.
2. Part V of the act stresses on integrated urban areas and
cities development planning. This part identifies the plans
to be the basis for preparation of environmental
management plans.
1. Main focus of this research on this riparian reserve is to promote
a clean, safe and an environmental sustainable area.
2. Act will help in provision of a framework for regulation of urban
agriculture and the basis for development control in settlements
growing along riparian reserves.
The Physical
Planning Act
(1996)
1. The act states the role of physical planners in the process
of development.
2. Provides that any development requires development
permission.
3. Part V of the act gives one of the powers of a local
authority as reservation and maintenance of land planned
for open spaces, parks, urban forests and green belts.
1. The act supports the purpose of this research, by providing for
reservation of areas such as riparian reserves.
2. The act demands for local authorities to ensure proper execution
of physical development control and preservation orders. This is a
crucial element in controlling of riparian reserve development,
which may have injurious impact on the environment.
Environmental
Management
&Coordination
Act (2005)
1. This Act gives every Kenyan as right to a healthy and
clean environment just like the constitution.
2. The act also demands conduction of environmental
impact analysis before any development project is
undertaken. Any project which may have adverse negative
impact on the environment will be therefore disallowed.
3. The act also establishes the environmental quality
standards which shall look into issues related to domestic
water utilization among other uses.
1. The act will help identify different types of wastes and for the
case of this research, focus will be on solid, liquid and storm-water,
wastes mismanagement, and also focuses on various levels and
usage of different water quality.
2. Help analyze the various effects caused by riparian reserve
development, and how to restore these problems.
3. Will help in establishing the human-environmental conflict, and
its effects to surrounding land uses.
Table 2: Legal and Policy framework frame-work review
35 | P a g e
The Water Act
(2002)
1. The Act helps to provide for the regulation and
management of water supply and sewerage services.
2. Provides for the public to ensure protection of any water
resource, its catchment and source, by being involved in
identification and development of retarding basin for the
control and management of flood water or any other
measures for its control as well as conservation and
improvement of water quality.
1. Help in determining the requirements of reserves for each water
resource for Kihoto estate residents, since they depend on water
from the wells, which is of poor quality since the area has a high
water table and latrines are dug in the same levels as water wells,
hence resulting in contamination and frequent outbreak of water
borne diseases.
2. Will help in investigating the sustainability of the land uses along
the riparian reserve and come up with proposals which aim at
sustainable development of the riparian reserve as well as
environmental conservation.
Vision 2030 1. The main sectors addressed in Vision 2030, relevant for
this research are water and sanitation, environment as well
as housing and urbanization.
1. Help ensure that Kihoto estate people can live in a clean and
secure environment.
The Constitution
of Kenya 2010
1. Support the issue of environmental conservation and
guide the nature of planning.
2. Article 42 on Environmental rights recognizes the right
of people to a clean and healthy environment.
3. Talks about elimination of activities which endanger the
environment and encourages utilization of the environment
and natural resources for the benefit of the people of
Kenya.
1. Proposals made in this research will therefore be based on full
participation of the people of Kihoto estate to ensure that every
decision made does not undermine the power given to the people by
the constitution.
Land Act (2012)
1. It prevents the commission of lands from allocating
public land that falls within forests, wildlife reserves,
mangroves, wetlands or within buffer zones and
enviro1nmental sensitive areas.
2. Section 19 of the act stresses on conservation of land
based resources provides rules for sustainable development
of these land based resources.
1. Occupation of any public land along riparian reserves is therefore
considered as encroachment and should be avoided at all costs - this
applies to the settlements and land use activities found along the
riparian reserve within Kihoto estate.
The Draft
National Water
Policy (2012)
1. It sets standards for management of water resources
&sewerage services.
2. Policy identifies challenges to water provision as climate
change, disaster management &environmental degradation.
3. Policy aims to eliminate conflicts over water use and to
enhance availability.
Identified in this policy is that availability of water and provision of
water services does not grow with the pace of rapid urbanization,
industrial production, tourism, recreation and agriculture. These
pose great constraints in the delivery of water and sanitation
services as well as endangering lakes due to encroachment.
36 | P a g e
2.10.2 Institutional Framework
This are various institutions empowered to regulate and control development and other land use activities around the riparian reserve
and its surrounding environs. The table below summarizes the various institutions that play different roles, within the area of study.
Table 3: Institutional framework review
INSTITUTION MANDATE IMPACTS / GAPS
Ministry of
Environment, Water
and Natural
Resources
1. Management of the environment, water and natural resources.
2. Protect areas of concern such as water catchment areas, forests,
lakes, rivers, wetlands and even the ocean.
3. Deal with issues of environmental degradation and rehabilitation.
4. Ensure that natural resources are not over or underexploited.
1. Inadequate finances to manage the sector.
2. Inadequate personnel capacity.
3. Overlapping policy implementation(making policy
actualization difficult)
4. Conflicting ideologist among the members.
The National Land
Commission
1. Manage all public land on behalf of the county and national
governments.
2. Give guidelines on land issues and is the main body responsible
for solution of land based conflicts.
3. They conduct research related to land and natural resources then
make recommendations to appropriate authorities.
1. Overlapping policy implementation(making policy
actualization difficult)
2. Inadequate finances to manage the sector.
3. Inadequate personnel capacity.
County Government
of Nakuru
1. Regulate land-use activities.
2. Provide necessary infrastructure to the people.
3. Ensure a clean and healthy environment, through proper
environmental conservation measures.
4. Ensure that areas such as forests, wetlands, rivers among others
are protected from encroachment by human activities.
1. Inadequate personnel capacity.
2. Institutional weakness through politicization of various
implementable laws and guidelines.
The Municipal
Council of Naivasha
1. Control development in its area of jurisdiction.
2. Mandate to prohibit development and, control development of and
use of land and buildings in the interest of the people.
1. Inadequate personnel capacity.
2. Lack of enough capital to and government support to carry
out various conservation measures on the environment.
The National
Environment
Management
1. Help in management and protection of the environment.
2. Approve all projects through conducting an environmental impact
assessment before any project is carried out.
3. Sets environmental standards required in any living environment
1. Ignorance among citizens on the importance of managing
the environment
2. Lack of enough capital to and government support to carry
out various conservation measures on the environment.
37 | P a g e
Authority (NEMA) and ensures that the environment is maintained clean and healthy.
4. Provides for the size of the riparian reserve required in any river
as 30m measured from the highest water mark.
3. Most of the industries in Kenya does not adhere to polluter
pay principle hence continued degradation of the
environment.
4. Garbage disposal which causes environmental pollution
especially in the urban centers.
5. Resistance from Kenyan citizen citizens when new laws
introduced
Lake Naivasha
Riparian
Association (LNRA)
1. Protect local land owner’s rights.
2. Help balance the impact of the expanding development interests
surrounding the lake with protecting its environmental integrity.
3. Initiating major actions, and achieving results for the long-term
conservation and wise use of wetlands for the well-being of local
populations.
1. Designation of the Lake Naivasha Wetlands as a Ramsar
site.
2. Development of a management plan for the Ramsar site
(1996), with a view to extending the plan to the catchment
during the implementation process.
3. No legal enforcement powers.
4. Members have varied or sometimes conflicting agendas.
5. Insufficient public awareness of its role to the community
around.
Lake Naivasha
Imarisha Board
1. Help to coordinate all actions and actors in the basin.
2. They halt and reverse degradation of the Lake Naivasha
ecosystem, deforestation of its catchment, and deterioration of
economic base of the surrounding areas.
3. Over time, restore the Lake ecosystem and its catchments
ecological stability.
4. Help to develop and enforce codes of conduct to be observed by
the players within the area.
1. Developed a five (5) years Development Plan through a
participatory process involving all sector to be used as a
framework for guiding the restoration and sustainable
development processes by all stakeholders.
2. Tree-planting in the basin in partnership with MEMR and
local community organizations.
3. Restoration of the Naivasha sewerage treatment plant.
4. Design of a Constructed wetland next to the conventional
treatment works
5. Members have varied or sometimes conflicting agendas.
6. Insufficient public awareness of its role to the community
around.
Chamber of
Commerce
1. Represent its Members and submit views and proposals to the
authorities on their behalf.
2. Maintain structured forms of dialogue with the public authorities.
3. Collect, analyze and disseminate information to its Members.
4. Initiate cooperation and affiliation programmes and other links
with international organisations meant to further the interests of its
Members and the business community as a whole.
1. Lack of well trained staff to the international standards.
2. Weak laws governing their operations.
3. High level of poverty and ignorance among the
community.
38 | P a g e
2.11 Conceptual Framework
This conceptual framework seeks to illustrate the various drivers of change happening around the
lake’s riparian reserve such as: lack of a proper riparian management framework, inadequate
implementation of zoning plans and the unplanned urban developments that are happening
rapidly.
These drivers of change have significant effects on the lake ecosystem such as: diminishing
agricultural land, developments with no basic infrastructural provision especially in waste water
management.
The ultimate aim of analyzing these causes and effects of landuse change and settlement growth
around the lakes riparian reserve is to help in ensuring that best settlement growth and land-use
practices are promoted and that the best utilization of the riparian reserve with bid to prevent
future encroachment is promoted.
The figure below illustrates the conceptual framework diagrammatically.
39 | P a g e
GOAL
1. Best settlement growth and
land-use practices are promoted
2. Best utilization or conservation
measure of the riparian reserve, to
prevent future encroachment.
Figure 7: Conceptual Framework
Other sources of impacts to
the lake eg. Subsistence
farming, floriculture , and
hotel tourism.
Human
Settlement
growth
1. Unplanned urban
development.
2. Lack of zoning plans.
3. Increased population due
to high urbanization rate.
4. Lack of a proper riparian
management framework.
Drivers
of
change
Causes
1. Negative impacts on the natural environment {lake
and its surrounding ecosystem}.
2. Poor/lack of infrastructure provision resulting to:
Poor effluent and waste water management
systems.
Poor and ineffective solid waste management
system.
1. Exposure to floods due to siltation.
2. Water contamination due to poor sanitation
Impacts/effects
Impacts
Or
Effects
40 | P a g e
CHAPTER THREE
STUDY AREA
3.1 Critical information of the study area
Naivasha town growth has being majorly boosted by the presence of Lake Naivasha, which has
attracted diverse land-uses around it, ranging from conference tourism, urban agriculture and
floriculture farms, thus creating employment opportunities in the area.
However, moderating this urban development has been a challenge, since the town lacks policy
guidelines to control this growth. The only plan that existed in the area was a Part Development
Plan (PDP) that only covered the town’s Central Business District. In the year 2000, a zonal plan
was prepared for the whole town, but whose implementation is yet to be seen.
Until recently, where an Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan (ISUDP), is being
prepared, the absence of the planning regulatory framework in the area has resulted to an un-
sustainable development in the area. Kihoto estate especially being on the limelight since it acts
as a gateway to the most important feature of Naivasha town, Lake Naivasha. Due to this
uncontrolled development, incidences of riparian land grabbing{exposé on the KARI land
grabbing} and the “my land my property” perspective, in addition to the presence of unmarked
riparian land boundaries, poses a challenge to the sustainability of the lake in ensuring the town
continues to preserve its ecotourism town identity.
In light of the above, this chapter aims at analyzing the locational context, the historic context of
the study area, and physiographic, population and demography of the area.
3.2 Location of the Study Area
Kihoto estate is located in Naivasha sub-county, Nakuru County. It is located next to Lake
Naivasha, since it has its boundaries extending from the Lake Naivasha shore line, towards
Naivasha town Central Business District. It borders Lake Naivasha to the south west, and
approximately covers an area of 70ha.
41 | P a g e
KIHOTO
Figure 8: National and Sub-County level locational context of the Study Area
42 | P a g e
3.3 History of the Study Area
Kihoto is a Kikuyu term for justice.
Kihoto estate first belonged to the British colonial government, used as a recreational area.
Between 1903 to1906, a large part of the land in the area was part of the lake, and was used for
fishing and sport hunting activities by the affluent whites visiting or living around the shores of
Lake Naivasha.
In the 1950s, the British colonial government allocated the land to a white settler, who used it for
agricultural activities since it bordered the lake. In early months of 1970s the White settler, who
had retired from the civil service as a vetenary doctor, decided to sell the agricultural land. This
land measured 246.8 ha (approximately 609.8Acres). The farm around Lake Naivasha fell below
6210feet contour, thus falling on the riparian land extending into the lake, hence the origin of the
Lake Naivasha riparian reserve (Ortal, 1976, Anisfeld, 2009).
Due to uncertainty in the lakes water level, the land owner had built a raised house for dwelling
purposes of his family. The farmhands or workers referred to this house as “Gathunu”- a kikuyu
name for a temporary dwelling structure; hence the settler was referred as Mr. Gathunu by the
local community.
With the impediment of rising water levels and africanisation as per Sessional paper no 10 of
1965, the white settler Mr. “Gathunu” felt the urge to leave Kenya for his native land in Britain.
He thus entered into agreement with his thirty workers in sale of the farm which by 1970 had 100
Ha under water. This agreement was made under then District Officer under whose custody of
the title was left. The cooperative society formed by the thirty stakeholders came to be known as
Kihoto farmers, which since has been dissolved.
Each of the shareholders had to pay Ksh.1000 as per the sale agreement. A subdivision survey
was done for the 30 shareholders in 1970. This Registry Index Map came to be called “Naivasha
Town Block 1 (Kihoto)”.
The parcels of land subdivided were uneven and very narrow. Each parcel ran from the road (old
Naivasha road) to the shores of the lake. They were subdivided this way to enhance the access to
water from the lake for irrigation and access to the main road. The owners of the 30parcels of
land used them entirely for agricultural purposes.
43 | P a g e
From the year 1976, they have been subdivision of the parcels into small plots between the old
Naivasha road and the oil pipeline, for residential purpose. This left the land from the pipeline
reserve towards the lake for agricultural purpose.
However, currently this land left for agricultural purpose because of its effects to the lake, has
continued to be subdivided into small lots, with no proper plan on development of the human
settlements. This has seen human settlements encroach onto the riparian reserve, thus posing as a
time bomb on the sustainability of the lake.
44 | P a g e
3.4 Site Analysis
3.4.1 Natural Environment
This section focuses on the climatic, hydrology, vegetation and their influence on the lake’s
riparian reserve.
3.4.1.1 Physiographic characteristics
Geology
The area lies on the floor of the Rift Valley. The rocks in the area are mainly volcanic rocks
which originated from volcanic activities around the area. The study area and the surrounding
areas also lie on weak fault lines, therefore making the area unsuitable for high rise and massive
housing developments.
Soils
The area is mainly composed of
soils that developed from
volcanic ashes. The soils are
permeable with very low water
holding capacity. These soils are
therefore not very good for
agricultural activities since they
have low water retention
capacity, thus creating a need to
enhance irrigation to all
agriculture activities, if
sustainable production is to be
achieved.
Figure 9: A Geological map of Naivasha region
Source: Thompson, 1962
The soils being permeable necessitate reduction in the digging of wells as sources of water, since
it creates seepage of waste water from the pit latrines into the shallow wells.
45 | P a g e
Topography
The topography of
the area is fairly
low-lying flat.
The study area is
1900 meters
above the sea
level. It is fairly
flat and gently
slopes from North
east to South
West, as indicated
in the slope
analysis map.
Figure 10: Slope Analysis
Source: Clark et al. 1990
Figure 11: Physiographic profile of Lake Naivasha basin
46 | P a g e
The area being very close to the lake has high water table. The study area being relatively flat
experience floods during the rainy seasons since rise in water levels in the lake leads to spread of
lake water to the main land.
The area also lacks an effective storm water drainage system which also aggravates flooding.
This area thus being prone to flooding requires an efficient waste water drainage system.
Human settlements also need to be controlled and carefully planned to reduce risks posed when
flooding occurs.
Building foundations also need to strengthen and stabilized to avoid collapsing due to the
unstable ground that has resulted from high-water table. This results to the soil bearing capacity
being low, leading to differential settlement. Thus low density developments are advised versus
the risky high density developments.
3.4.2 Climatic Characteristics
Rainfall
The minimum and
maximum monthly
rainfall in the area is
43mm and 170mm
respectively. The
annual rainfall ranges
between 1000mm and
1300mm. This rainfall
pattern is relatively
low for agricultural
practices throughout
the year, irrigation is
thus necessary to all
farms to enhance
sustainable production.
Figure 12: Rainfall distribution Map for Naivasha Basin
Source: WWF, 2007
Hydrology/ Drainage
47 | P a g e
Temperature
CHAPTER FOUR
The project area has a temperate tropical climate. The hottest period in the year is between January and
May, where temperature ranges between 27degrees and 28 degrees. The coldest period is between July
and August during which Naivasha experiences mean monthly temperature of 25degrees.
48 | P a g e
RESEARCH FINDINGS
4.0 Overview
The main objective of this study is to investigate the implications or dangers which the natural
environment {the lake and its surroundings}, undergoes if the necessary services, especially in
human settlement development, are not provided to the public especially the urban poor. This
chapter is structured into four sections. The first section looks into the social-economic
characteristics of the residents. The second section analyzes the character of human settlement
development towards the riparian reserve; the third section focuses on the effects or impacts of
the land use change and settlement development towards the riparian reserve {area}, while the
fourth section seeks to analyze the residents’ perspective on the riparian reserve and the different
efforts that have been done by various stakeholders in mitigating the effects of land use change
and settlement growth towards the riparian reserve.
4.1 Social-Economic characteristics of the respondents
4.1.1 Age of the respondents
The study findings noted that majority of the respondents {60%} were aged between 20-35
years, about 25% fell within the range of 35-50 years, and the remaining percentage fell within
the age bracket of 51years and above. This indicates that the area has a high young and
productive population which is likely to lead to more population increase thereby increasing
demand for land.
4.1.2 Education levels
As noted by the study findings, a majority of the people living in Kihoto estate at 57% have only
primary school level education, while only 23% have high school level education, and the
remaining 10% have attained tertiary level of education. Due to this education trend, only a few
people are formally employed, thus majority of the people are in the informal sector of
employment such as farming and trading. This indicates the importance to properly plan on the
location and service thereon of the urban agriculture practiced in the area, since the farmers
depend on it as a source of livelihood.
4.2 Character of land use change and settlement development towards the riparian reserve
The study findings noted the following:
49 | P a g e
4.2.1 Increased settlement development and growth pattern towards the riparian reserve
over time
The differences in the lakes water level has resulted to Kihoto estate various land uses such as
urban agriculture and housing, growing towards and encroaching the riparian reserve.
50 | P a g e
This has posed an element of danger to the inhabitants and also on the water quality, because of the fluctuating lake water levels. No
measures have been put in place to protect the riparian area, unlike the blocks placed to secure the pipeline way-leave in the area, to
protect this growing need of housing and urban agriculture from encroaching onto the riparian reserve.
The maps below analyze the character of human settlement growth in years 2001, 2009 and 2015, in bid to identify the settlement
trend towards the riparian reserve.
Figure 13: Analysis of settlement development and growth towards the riparian reserve
JUNE 2001
JUNE 2009
JUNE 2015
HUMAN SETTLEMENT
DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS THE
LAKE’S RIPARIAN RESERVE
51 | P a g e
This growth has been caused by the increasing population in the area as a result of availability of
cheap housing. This has seen the former Kihoto farms meant for agriculture purposes, undergo
subdivision to provide residential development space, which is growing towards the riparian
reserve.
4.2.2 Causes of land use change and settlement development in the estate
The causes of land use change and settlement development in the estate, has been a result of the
reasons that make Kihoto estate stand out on its own {advantages of living in Kihoto}, among
various estates in Naivasha town, as given by its residents.
From the graph below, the highest percentage of residents (32.4%) claim that affordable and
cheap housing, followed by 18.9% that claim that availability of food supply from the farms next
to the lake is what makes Kihoto estate stand out from other estates in Naivasha town. This
indicates the need to incorporate proper infrastructure for both the settlements and the farming
activities in the area, with relation to their proximity to the lake.
4.2.3 Development of high density housing in an environmentally fragile zone
Kihoto estate was zoned for low density housing development, because it lies on an
environmental fragile area because of the following:
Figure 14: Graphical representation on the advantages of living in Kihoto estate
52 | P a g e
The high-water table, reduces the soil bearing capacity of the area, leading to differential
settlement, thus high density is not advocated for as a result of the unstable ground in the
area.
Located in a flood plain area, thus low density housing was viewed as a means to help
reduce risks posed when flooding occurs.
The estate is located along the rift-valley, lying on weak fault lines which are unsuitable
for high-rise and massive housing developments.
However due to inadequate implementation of planning policy and guidelines, the estate is
experiencing high density development, as a means to incorporate the increasing housing
demand, as summarized in the graph below, one advantage of living in Kihoto estate, is that it
provides affordable and cheap housing to the residents of Naivasha.
Figure 15: High density houses being built as opposed to the low density supposed to be built
4.2.4 Irregular Street patterns with no provision of basic infrastructure utilities
The initial subdivision of the 30 parcels of land created very narrow stretches of parcels which
ran from the main road to the lake that is about 2.5kilometers. Subsequently very narrow plots
are created after the subdivision of the initial plots. The recommended ratio of the width: length
should be 1:2{Physical Planning Handbook}.
Most of the plots in the study area have irregular dimensions such as 30M x 80M, creating very
long streets with unnecessary dead ends.
This has also resulted to the developments in the area not taking into consideration plot setbacks
and building lines. This leaves no room for development or expansion of way leaves for utilities
High density
development
Compared to
the low
density
development
53 | P a g e
such as electricity, water and drainage facilities, thus resulting to narrowing of the already
narrow roads and access lanes.
This has resulted to the settlements developing with no provision of basic supportive physical
infrastructure utility provision such as water reticulation system and drainage facilities, yet being
in an environment that should be highly conserved. This housing developments with inadequate
and absence of basic utilities, forms one of the major problems and challenges facing Kenya in
the unsustainable urban growth and deterioration of urban environment. This has resulted to the
area experiencing rapid growth and development that is unplanned, not coordinated, and not
controlled thus causing a threat to the surrounding natural environment.
The graph below summarizes the problems being experienced in Kihoto, by the virtue of it being
the closest estate to the lake and lacking basic infrastructure utility provision, among different
estates in Naivasha town.
From the graph above, the major problem being experienced is poor drainage resulting to
inaccessibility of the area especially when it rains (18.9% ), followed by pollution of both the
well water and lake water ( 13.5% ), thus reducing availability and accessibility to safe and
portable water from these sources by the residents.
Figure 16: Graphical representation on problems faced in Kihoto estate
54 | P a g e
4.2.5 Encroachment of the riparian reserve
There is no land put aside as riparian reserve in the estate, though according to planning
regulations there should be an estimated distance of 30M from the highest recorded water mark
as the terrain bears gentle gradient.
Due to the increasing stature of the town as ecotourism town, high demand for land around the
lake has increased. This places the unmarked riparian area at risk of being grabbed by the private
developers and anthropogenic factors.
As shown in the plate above, the existing stretch of riparian in the estate is mostly used for urban
agriculture by the residents of the area. Despite presence of some portions of legally allocated
agricultural land they still practice agriculture depending with water levels of the lake.
This has also been the same case with human-settlements, being built with a prayer of the water
levels not breaking their banks and flooding the area.
Thus, conflicts between conservation and cultivation purposes have occurred. The present
situation of push and pull phenomena with nature should be addressed, through establishing a
Figure 18: Urban agriculture being practiced along the riparian reserve
Figure 17: Settlement development with no provision of drainage facilities
55 | P a g e
proactive rather than a reactive strategy in which the lake and its varying water levels can
coexist with the various Kihoto estate land-uses.
When the riparian reserve land is compared to the oil pipeline way leave passing through the
same estate, proper marks have been placed to indicate where development should not go
beyond. This making of the way leave boundary has prevented its encroachment, as compared to
the riparian reserve that is at risk of being encroached.
Figure 20: Indication of building development adherence to the oil pipeline way leave
Figure 19: KPC oil pipeline way leave clearly marked to prevent encroachment of the way leave
Settlement development
restricted to this extent, in bid
to protect oil pipeline way leave
from being encroached.
Building
development
boundary
Properly observed oil
pipe line reserve
56 | P a g e
4.3 Effects of land use change and settlement development towards the riparian reserve
4.3.1 Poor solid waste and wastewater management
A. Poor solid waste management
Most residents of Kihoto estate lack the access to basic solid waste management services. This is
as a result of the absence of any prepared solid waste management plan or solid waste collection
points in the area. 11% of residents dump their waste either on the riparian reserve or on the
undeveloped land, 24% burn their waste in open spaces in front of their houses, and handling of
garbage by private individuals takes 22% as indicated in chart below. Presence of the same
percentage of the county government efforts in managing solid waste management and burning
waste by residents shows very minimal concern to the low income neighborhoods’ residents by
the county government, resulting to residents managing their own solid waste.
Some of the residents also
dump on the “purposed”
drainage channels along the
road reserve causing blockage
of such facilities. The drainage
systems therefore become
inefficient for storm water
drainage when it rains making
the roads to be impassable.
Figure 21: Chart indicating various household solid waste disposal mechanisms
Figure 22: Solid waste dumping
along the road reserve and
within the undeveloped land
57 | P a g e
B. Poor wastewater management
As illustrated in the diagram
below, of various sources of
waste water from different
households, all the waste water
end up on the streets apart from
black water, which is
wastewater from the toilets, for
most of Kihoto estate residents.
The chart below illustrates
various wastewater disposal mechanisms by the residents of Kihoto.
Figure 23: Household wastewater disposal mechanisms
Figure 24: Illustration of sources of household wastewater
HOUSEHOLD
Storm
Water
Cloth
Washing Bath
Shower
Kitchen
wastewater Toilet
Black Water Grey Water
WASTE WATER
Rain
58 | P a g e
Absence of the county government efforts in wastewater management shows very low concern to
the low income neighborhoods’ residents by the county government, keeping in mind Kihoto
acts as both the human gate-way to the lake - that is access to the lake, and solid waste and
wastewater gate-way to the lake, since wastewater from the other estates flow towards Kihoto
estate {due to its geographical location}, into the lake.
4.3.2 Water Sources pollution
Poor solid waste and wastewater management has resulted to pollution of both the well water
and the lake water, which are the main sources of water for the household.
A. Well water pollution
The water table at Kihoto is fairly high; this is why most residents prefer digging shallow wells
as their source of water. This is as a result of lack of any water reticulation system with the
estate. However, the aspect of them digging shallow wells in a high water table area, without
observing the 20-30m safe distance, result into contamination of both the well water and the
black water from the latrines. This is as a result of permeable soils creating seepages of waste
water from the pit latrines into the shallow wells.
Grey water released directly
along the road reserves by
different households
Figure 25: Poor wastewater management among the households
59 | P a g e
None observance of the 20 – 30M {normally recommended to limit exposure to microbial
contamination} safe
distance from the
shallow wells to the pit
latrine is difficult to
adhere due to the small
sizes of land sizes.
This has resulted to the
residents being prone
to water borne
diseases. This thus led
to the department of
public health closing
down over 700
shallow wells in the estate, after 34 cholera cases were reported, since the wells contained high
levels of waste water http://www.sde.co.ke)
Figure 27: Approximate land sizes ownership
Pit latrine
Shallow well
Less than 20M distance
risking the well water to
contamination from the
pit latrine waste
Figure 26: Existing situation of the proximity of the source of water to the pit latrine
60 | P a g e
Figure 28: An example of a well maintained (a )& worse off (b) latrines within the estate
B. Lake water pollution
Kihoto acts as both the human gate-way to the lake - that is access to the lake, and solid waste
and wastewater gate-way to the lake- that is waste being carried into the lake water, thus
contributing to its pollution among other factors as illustrated below.
TYPES OF POLLUTANTS RESULTING POLLUTION
Physical This includes material such as particles of soil
that are eroded by flowing water.
Point sources of pollution This is pollution that originates from a known
point, for example a pipe from which a
pollutant may enter a lake.
Non-point sources of pollution This is pollution whose source cannot be traced
to a specific point, for example groundwater
from construction sites and agricultural fields.
Urban Urban areas have a high percentage of land
covered by roofs, streets and parking lots. This
urban runoff may contain nonpoint source
pollutants, for example wastewater from the
estates.
From the table above its clear that Kihoto estate contributes to the lake water pollution through
the nonpoint sources of pollution and the urban factor of pollution. This pollution of the lake
Table 4: Sources of lake water pollution
61 | P a g e
water has been accelerated due to the unobserved and unmaintained riparian reserve, that would
natural provide filtering mechanism of these wastes before entering the lake.
Thus from both the well water and lake water pollution, it’s clear that planning for drainage
systems in the area, and prevention measures of water sources in the area should be done in order
to improve the health and sanitation environment in the estate.
4.3.3 Inadequate water supply in the area
A. Domestic water supply
Community access to clean drinking water, are not well provided within the estate of Kihoto, yet
it’s the estate that is closest to the lake. The field study conducted revealed a lot of casualties
related to water supply and other utilities. One of these was the fact that the supply of water is
inadequate since 35% (same percentage found by UN- HABITAT report) of the population still
access water through water kiosks in which majority of residents access water by paying between
4-5 shillings and a few paying between six to ten shillings for a 20 liters jerican. The other aspect
is majority of the population (54%) depend on wells as sources of water. It’s worth noting that
majority of these wells have contaminated water due to the high water table in the area that
mixes from waste from the
latrines, leading to the risk of
waterborne diseases.
Another issue facing the water
supply service is that most of the
water supply facilities are not
well maintained, making the
supply capability to be low and
insufficient as compared to the
WHO per capita water supply
recommendation of 30 liters per person per day. There are only a few residents with septic
tanks, and those that exercise rain water harvesting (3%) as indicated in the chart.
Figure 29: Sources of domestic water supply
62 | P a g e
Most residents including business people, CBOs, household owners and stakeholders complain
of inadequacy in supply of water and other utilities such as sanitation and drainage facilities.
This is one of the major causes of the deteriorating situation of the Lake Naivasha and its
riparian zone within the Kihoto estate.
B. Agricultural water supply
Owners of the former Kihoto farms have left some portion of their land especially the land next
to the lake for farming purposes. They practice small scale farming of vegetables, where majority
of them earn a living from it.
As opposed to buying water from water vendors and digging of wells, small scale farmers in this
estate depend on the lake water as their source of agricultural water supply. When the lake water
level is high, they dig trenches where water from the lake flows into these trenches; they then
pump this water into their shambas for agricultural consumption. These pumps are usually co-
owned among the farmers.
Diesel driven
pump- pumping
water from the
shallow trenches
A shallow trench
Figure 30: Various sources of water in the estate
63 | P a g e
Figure 31: Trenches dug to accommodate lake water blown in by the waves
When the lake water level reduces, hence no enough water flowing into the trenches, the farmers
result to digging small wells in their shambas for water access. This however have been
discouraged by soil geologist, after test were made that the deep underground water contains
high amount of fluorine, and very salty in addition to the fertilizers used, which is bad both for
food produced since it will contain high chemical content, unhealthy for human consumption.
The farmers were advised on using domestic manure and digging of trenches in order to capture
the fresh water from the lake, which is perfect for agricultural production.
As a means of integrating urban agriculture as an environmental conservation measure, by virtue
of the land being located closest to the lake, proper planning should be done on how to ensure a
harmonious coexistence of these urban agriculture landuse in the area.
4.3.4 Flooding in some estate’s quarters
The riparian reserve encroachment makes the people be at risk of flooding when it rains and
make people vulnerable due to spread of water related diseases. The following are other reasons
of flooding experienced in the estate; the estate is located on a relatively flat area with a very low
gradient interval changes, hence when the water on the lake riparian area rises with a small
vertical dimension it spreads a very long distance on the horizontal dimension. Consequently this
leads to flooding of the estate which subsequently leads to the problems of sinking of pit latrines,
displacement of families and creation of impassible access lanes.
64 | P a g e
Figure 32: Permanent houses destroyed as a result of floods due to the lake bursting its banks
Despite presence of Lake water level variance, riparian level marking of 30M from the highest
water level mark has been controversial. This is because, in the years 1980s , when the white
settler who had occupied the Kihoto farms, the riparian level was marked at contour level 1906,
where this level covered the whole of Kihoto estate and even stretched into some parts of
Naivasha town. Due to various changes over time affecting the water level, WARMA in year
2008, published a new riparian level at 1896 contour level as shown in the map below.
From the map, it is evident that there is part of the riparian reserve that has been encroached by
settlement and urban agriculture practices. This thus creates the need to secure such an area and
mark it as a conservation site rather than a cultivation area.
Remains of building structures,
built within the riparian reserve
destroyed by floods
65 | P a g e
Figure 33: Riparian boundary based on 1906 and 1892 contour levels
4.4 Different perceptions / views of the riparian reserve
4.4.1 Professionals view
Based on the information obtained from interviews with key informants, they were found to be
having varying perceptive on widths in relation to the riparian reserve. Apart from the various
laws and regulations, each ministry has a development strategy which restricts development
within a specific length of public land. This shows that government ministries have an aim to
ensure that riparian reserves and environmentally sensitive areas are exempted from any
development activities, though little has been about it. For example NEMA an institution set up
Source: Remote Sensing and
GIS Analysis
Riparian boundary based on 1906 and 1892 contour levels
66 | P a g e
by EMCA, has tried to enforce and manage the riparian reserve however the impacts on the
ground are negligible as witnessed by the anthropogenic factors being practiced on the riparian
reserve.
The ministry of environment, water and natural resources on the other hand has yet to put
measures in place which not only guide reduction of environmental degradation but also include
protection strategies.
4.4.2 Residents’ view
The field survey also sought the view of the residents on what they understand by the term
riparian reserve, despite having limited community understanding of water and wetlands
functions and services, a high percentage even though not familiar with the term, recognized the
existence of the land separating the lake and the land for development. The graph below
summarizes the residents’ perception on the riparian reserve.
Figure 34: Residents’ perception on the riparian reserve
67 | P a g e
CHAPTER FIVE
PLANNING IMPLICATIONS ON THE POTENTIALITY FOR DEVELOPMENT
The study area shows great potential for development of both the physical infrastructure and less
development intense activities that majorly support urban agriculture, natural environment
conservation and eco-tourism {boat rides and campsites} in the area. The following is a
summary of planning implications on the potentiality for development in the estate.
5.1 Absence of a planning regulatory framework
Absence of the planning regulatory framework in the area has resulted to an un-sustainable
development in the area. Thus moderating this urban development has been a challenge, since
the town lacks policy guidelines to control this growth. From the field survey, Kihoto estate will
continue to experience increased growth of people and developments, since this growth will be
attributed to the affordable and cheap housing (43%), nearness to various employment
opportunities area such as the town centre and the horticultural farms (26%) and availability of
food from the adjacent farms (12%). Thus with estate attracting a large number of population,
proper development control measures such as indicative landuse zoning should be enforced, to
ensure that the development growth due to population pressure is controlled.
5.2 Presence of inadequate basic utility infrastructure
The growth of the estate with inadequate basic utility infrastructure such as solid waste and
liquid waste management will increase pollution levels in the estate and environmental risks.
Thus, there is a need to develop a solid and liquid waste management plan, to help stop these
wastes from polluting the various sources of water in the area, such as the wells and the lake.
As viewed from the case study on negotiated framework for rehabilitation of riparian zones
in Nairobi city, the case of Mathare river valley(Refer Cap 2), riparian suffering from issues
of being at risk of discharge of sewerage products and wastes and surface run off, from the
settlements around. This means that ideas of managing these waste and riparian restoration can
be viewed as a means of protecting these water sources.
5.3 Unmarked riparian reserve boundary
Presence of a Riparian reserve boundary not properly marked, has placed the reserve at risk of
being grabbed {exposé on the KARI land grabbing}. This riparian corridor along Kihoto estate,
is on the limelight since it acts as a gateway to the most important feature of Naivasha town,
68 | P a g e
Lake Naivasha, both as the human gate-way to the lake - that is access to the lake, and solid
waste and wastewater gate-way to the lake, since wastewater from the other estates flow towards
Kihoto estate {due to its geographical location}, into the lake.
Due to the absence of properly marking of this reserve incidence of riparian land grabbing poses
a challenge to the sustainability of the lake in ensuring the town continues to preserve its
ecotourism town identity.
This creates a need to clearly mark the riparian reserve boundary and enforcing a performance
zoning development control procedure, where activities not supposed to be practiced around it
are outlined. The zone should be marked as a conservation zone, in which less intense
developments are carried out. This is as viewed from the Rehabilitation of the lower Jordan
River, the case study of Middle East, where the site was rehabilitated for activities that
benefited the people around it, both economically and socially. Thus the Kihoto corridor riparian
reserve can be rehabilitated and activities that benefit the locals such as boat riding, a green
urban space, camp sites and nyama choma places, accessible to the general public at large.
The rehabilitation of this riparian reserve will also help in minimizing flooding in the estate since
riparian reserve act as floodplains. Since, the study area being relatively flat experience floods
during the rainy seasons due to the rise in water levels in the lake, which leads to spread of lake
water to the main land. With a properly managed riparian reserve, this spreading water to the
main land will be restricted on these riparian zone thus reducing incidences of flooding in the
area. Also, a properly managed riparian reserve will help in combating illegal activities in
riparian zone, and unregulated use and its management. It will also help in establishing beach
access points under BMU management, since most of the other public access points are unclear
and contested.
5.4 Water source contamination from seepages of waste water
Since the water table at Kihoto is fairly high, most residents prefer digging shallow wells as their
source of water. This is as a result of lack of any water reticulation system with the estate.
However, the aspect of them digging shallow wells in a high water table area, without observing
the 20-30m safe distance, result into contamination of both the well water and the black water
from the latrines. This is as a result of permeable soils creating seepages of waste water from the
pit latrines into the shallow wells. This thus puts the residents at risk of waterborne diseases.
69 | P a g e
However World Bank has initiated a programme where they advocate residents to build septic
tanks and they foot have the project cost.
Kihoto estate also contributes to the lake water pollution through the nonpoint sources of
pollution and the urban factor of pollution. This pollution of the lake water has been accelerated
due to the unobserved and unmaintained riparian reserve, that would natural provide filtering
mechanism of these wastes before entering the lake. Thus from both the well water and lake
water pollution, it’s clear that planning for drainage systems in the area, and prevention measures
of water sources in the area should be done in order to improve the health and sanitation
environment in the estate.
5.5 Adoption of better land use practices and riparian management planning
There is a need to enhance an adoption of better land use practices and riparian management,
since this will lead to a demonstrable improvement in water quality and management, thus
leading to socio-economic benefits by the residents of the estate.
5.6 Need to incorporate planning in all phases of the land undergoing subdivision
There is also a need to incorporate planning in all phases of the on-going change of use and land
subdivision in the area. This is because the only professionals involved in the subdivision are the
surveyors and absence of policy guidelines to guide this subdivision and settlement development
are absent. Thus, settlements are developing with no utilities provided and high density houses as
compared to the low density houses supposed to be built. There thus arises a need to develop
other utilities such as water reticulation system and drainage facilities.
Figure 35: Boats waiting for customers to go for boat riding, and fishermen to fishing
70 | P a g e
5.7 Promotion of less development intense land uses around the lake
There is a need to promote urban agriculture in the area. This is because farming in this estate is
a source of income to some of the residents in the area, where the farms have attracted
immigrants who have rented farms in order to put the space into agricultural productive use. This
element of land use should be considered since they depend on water from the lake, since rainfall
in the area is relatively low for agricultural practices throughout the year. Thus urban agriculture
can be considered as one less development intense landuse which can be practiced around the
lake, thus incorporating the water access by the farmers from the lake in the rehabilitation and
reclamation of the Kihoto corridor riparian reserve.
There is also an open community land that was former EHG floriculture farm that can be used to
give alternative zone for development intense activities as compared to encroachment of the
riparian reserve. Though this will require a proper framework based on the existing community
land legislation or policies, and stakeholder and community involvement and sensitization.
71 | P a g e
CHAPTER SIX
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMEDATION
6.1 CONCLUSION
This research points out on the implications or dangers which the natural environment {the lake
and its surroundings}, undergoes if the necessary services are not provided to the public
especially the urban poor.
The growth of various landuses towards the riparian reserve, have been influenced by the
differences in the lakes water level, which has resulted to Kihoto estate various land uses such as
urban agriculture and housing, growing towards and encroaching the riparian reserve, posing
danger to the inhabitants and also on the water quality, because of the fluctuating lake water
levels and no measures have been put in place to protect the riparian area, unlike the blocks
placed to secure the pipeline way-leave in the area.
Due to this development pressure behind the lake’s fringe, conflicts between conservation and
cultivation purposes have occurred. The present situation of push and pull phenomena with
nature should be addressed, through establishing an adaptive strategy rather than a coping
strategy in which the lake and its varying water levels can coexist with the various Kihoto estate
land-uses.
As illustrated above, Kihoto acts as both the human gate-way to the lake - that is access to the
lake, and solid waste and wastewater gate-way to the lake- that is waste being carried into the
lake water, thus contributing to its pollution among other factors. This shows the need to ensure
that the surrounding landuses coexist with the natural environment, such that it does not pose a
threat to the achievement of sustainable development goal of SDG No.14 aimed at “conserve and
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”.
Achievement of sustainable development in the area encompasses three fundamental approaches:
economic, environmental, and social developments, which are interrelated and complementary.
Traditionally, the concept of sustainable development involves three equivalent components:
environmental, economic, and social development; as well as three dimensions of wellbeing, i.e.
economic, ecological, and social, and their complex interrelations.
72 | P a g e
Source: Physical Planning Handbook
6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
There need measures and activities to lead to environmental restoration and sustainable
development within this lakes riparian corridor. This intervention measures and activities
include:
Designation and wise-use of the lake and the riparian zone.
Promotion of sustainable land management and agricultural practices.
Effluent or waste management.
These recommendations were also echoed by the residents as the field survey also sought the
community idea on what should be done to revive or restore the current existing situation, the
following were the responses as summarized by the graph below:
Figure 36: Concept of Sustainable Development
-Sustain economic growth
-Maximize public-private partnership
-Expand the economic market
-Respect the carrying
capacity
-Reduce waste
-Increased local sensitization
-Guarantee public
participation
-Satisfying existing human
aspects
73 | P a g e
Figure 37: Actions to revive the riparian reserve
From the above, it is clear that rehabilitation of the riparian reserve, will not only benefit the
local economically but it will also help prevent future encroachment of the riparian reserve by
private developers, since the locals will be aware of the benefit of protecting such an area.
The following are the recommendations based on the study findings and the conclusions of this
study include:
6.2.1Towards sustainable human settlement development around Kihoto estate riparian
reserve
A physical development plan for the estate should be prepared with a clear settlement
development framework. This framework should guide all developments occurring around the
area, through proper development control measures. This will ensure that the on-going
settlements development do not exceed the extent of their growth towards the riparian reserve,
and that they adhere to housing building standards of the area, for example; plot ratio and plot
coverage guidelines and observance of building lines and setbacks, so that there is space for
laying down or improving the existing infrastructural and service facilities required to transform
the existing conditions to a reasonable standard. Adequate infrastructure such as standard access
74 | P a g e
to wastewater drainage channels on the access lanes and designated solid waste disposal points
will have to be provided.
6.2.2 Reduction of pollution and environmental risks on water sources
To reduce the well water and lake water pollution, planning for drainage systems in the area
should be done, since it will be a prevention measure of water sources pollution in the area. This
will help in improving the health and sanitation environment in the estate.
Due to the poor disposal of both solid and liquid wastes into the lake and in pit latrines next to
wells, makes the water sources suffer from massive pollution, risking users to risk of contacting
waterborne diseases. There is therefore need for the relocation of pit latrines to a safe distance of
20M - 30M to prevent seepage into the wells, or advocate for septic tank construction in the area,
because of the relatively high water table. This also calls for establishment of solid waste
collection points within the estate, both for the residing and visiting population.
The residents will also be made aware of the polluter pay principle which implies that anyone
who generates any pollution knowingly or unknowingly has a price to pay. This price comes as
result of the cost of treatment for health problems brought because of such pollution. The price
also comes because of the dangers which the pollution posses for the future generations.
To be able to achieve this, there is need for the integration of the institutions, stakeholders and
government agencies to ensure that all come to an agreement on what should be the best ways to
solve the issue.
6.2.3 Buffering the riparian reserve through green space planning and environmental
design for riparian reserves.
A need to look into the issue of conflicting land uses within the riparian reserve may be resolved
by creating a design which incorporates the land uses into an environmental designing which
takes into account integration of land uses for sustainable development of the lakes riparian
reserve. This design should take into account environmental sustainability and has to be
responsive to issues that affect or benefit the residents such as the urban agriculture being
practiced in the area.
Issues such as landscape, aesthetic and visual qualities, protection and safety through buffer
guidelines should be considered by the design. This design will be meant to address
environmental problems related to the lake’s riparian reserve.
75 | P a g e
The green space planning will focus on the following:
Focus area 1: Sustain and grow a public open space
Identify the riparian reserve as an area of unique environmental, recreational, historical,
economic and social importance. Thus the area should be preserved for public benefit.
Focus area 2: Create connections
Enhance connectivity between the urban area and the green-open space created. It aims at
creating a sustainable “green infrastructure” system for Lake Naivasha, and to improve
connectivity, proximity and access to the open space for residents and visitors.
Focus area 3: Ensure the reserves are accessible and enjoyable
This focuses to ensure all people feel encouraged, comfortable and safe using the reserves, across
a wide spectrum of experiences. It will also provide a diversity of non-motorized recreation
opportunities, and an expanded accessibility to underserved populations and specialized uses.
Focus area 4: Strengthen partnerships and investment through outreach and education
This will focus on developing and maintaining an effective outreach and education programs,
and partnerships to create an active open space advocacy community that works with the county
government to preserve, maintain and enhance reserves and reserve programs.
Being transparent and inclusive in reserve-related decision-making, as well as accountable and
responsive to community needs and desires, should be upheld in this process.
Inspiring citizens and businesses to invest time and energy in the future of the reserves,
increasing volunteer opportunities and forums for public input and participation in order to
foster a sense of community ownership should promoted.
This will result to strengthen the economic benefits the reserves provide to residents and
businesses, and awareness of these benefits.
Focus area 5: Increase capacity to sustainably acquire and manage the open space
Building a capacity to sustainably operate and manage the open space reserve system should be
considered. This will involve securing funding and resources to meet current and future needs
and enabling appropriate expansion of the system’s land base, amenities, services and programs
on a scale that matches their level of use and value to residents, businesses and visitors.
76 | P a g e
Green space and environmental planning is an important tool meant for conservation of the
natural and human environment. The plan ensures that the environmentally sensitive areas such
as wetlands, rivers, forests and other ecosystems of great environmental importance are
conserved, since such areas are at the risk of choosing between cultivation and conservation.
6.2.4 Restoration and Restructuring of the riparian reserve
Due to the increasing stature of the town as ecotourism town, high demand for land around the
lake has increased, in order to offer conference tourism facilities. This places the unmarked
riparian area at risk of being grabbed by the private developers whose appetite for dormant land
has increased over time, and increasing its vulnerability to activities that cause pollution and
degradation of the water ecosystem.
Ascertaining the stretch of the riparian reserve has posed a huge challenge to the residents,
NGOs, CBOs, Government and international agencies. This is because of the fluctuating lake
water levels, thus measuring the 30M stretch from the highest water level mark has been tricky.
Though the initial riparian mark known as the 1906 assumes that the whole estate and some
extent of the Naivasha town CBD falls within the riparian reserve, however in the year 2008
WRMA published the new riparian reserve level at 1896 contour line, based on the recent
changes on the lakes water level.
The lake riparian zone restoration and reclamation will ensure that this boundary is clearly
marked, and made known to people, that the area is a conservation site, thus no development
intense activities are allowed in the area.
Restoration and restructuring of this riparian reserve corridor will not only bring climatic
(disaster management), environmental conservation and landscape impacts to the residents, it
will also be of high value in terms of improving the economy and the quality of life of the
residents, through promotion of local ecotourism activities in the area, thus helping in
maintaining the status of Naivasha town known for its ecotourism facilities.
Restoration of this reserve will be attained through green space planning or environmental
planning as discussed above.
Restructuring will involve relocation of the riparian land users, which will ensure that all the
existing land users get accommodated on the legally approved land and not the riparian reserve.
The process of restructuring will be carried out in different stages:
77 | P a g e
The first stage will involve a consultation procedure between the communities, government,
development partners and the concerned institutions. This will be done to ensure that the resident
communities are not left out in the restoration of the lakes riparian reserve.
Their views will therefore be incorporated into the restoration plan of the lake’s riparian reserve.
This stage has already been conducted through the field survey conducted and analyzed in
chapter four.
The second stage will be the identification of the riparian reserve boundary and properly
marking it through various buffering techniques. This will also involve using performance
zoning as a development control technique, to help in protecting the area from being at risk of
being encroached again. This will involve experts concerned with skills such as land surveyors
and land use planners. This will be done in consultation with the relevant authorities in order to
ensure that possible land use conflicts are reduced. At this stage the views of the communities
will be taken into consideration. The county government will be highly consulted since all public
land is held by them in trust.
The third stage will be selling on the actualizing of the environmental design, and on how the
riparian reserve will be placed into good use by supporting the existing population needs. The
idea will be sold out to the different agencies such as the existing CBOs Such as LNRA and
Imarisha Lake Naivasha, and other private developers or individual investors, who are under the
incentive zoning land use zoning control, such as the surrounding hotels, conference tourism
facilities and the horticultural farms. This will ensure that the issues relating to funding of the
landscaping projects is not only left to the National and County governments but also is shared
out by the community around. This will help in achieving the goal of project ownership by the
community, thus attaining one of community participation ladder steps.
The process will start with preparation of a proper riparian management framework, through an
integrated recreational green space plans to ensure that all the necessary infrastructure, and other
extension services and solid and waste water procedures are all taken into consideration, as
discussed in the recommendation above on reduction of pollution and environmental risks.
Experts such as landscape architects will also be involved at this stage to come up with the
proposals of the best designs.
78 | P a g e
The fourth stage will be the actual conceptualization of the spatial sense of the public green
space. This will be done in a way that it captures the modes of urban association and
indifference, which will be done by providing facilities and spaces for social interaction and
community formation. This will involve issues such as landscaping, provision of a walk way
within the riparian reserve and provision of a buffer zone between the riparian reserve and other
land uses. This step will also be aided towards the benefit of the communities since the
landscaped riparian open space can be used for functions such as recreation which is of benefit to
the community. There will also be an action area plan for this kind of development.
This will help in achieving the element of public space as those places that are protected by the
state, thus affording equal and in principle free access to all citizens.
Labor provision at this stage should ensure incorporation of mostly the residents of Kihoto
estate, to enable them benefit from the project through provision of employment during the
development phase.
The last stage will involve the integration of the green space and environmental design planning,
with the upgrading of infrastructure facilities provision in the estate and the promotion of urban
agriculture in the area.
This will help in addressing issues of inadequate wastewater management and inefficient solid
waste management in the area. This is because the reserve should be surrounded by equally
environmentally friendly landuses, since waste from the estate and the town at large accumulates
itself along the riparian reserve. Thus in order to avoid waste accumulating along the boundaries
of the riparian reserve, there needs to be a proper wastewater management plan in place for
Kihoto estate. At this stage there will also be enforcement of NEMA strict rules and penalties
which restrict waste mismanagement through the polluter pay principle, since Kihoto estate acts
as both the human gate-way to the lake - that is access to the lake, and solid waste and
wastewater gate-way to the lake, since wastewater from the other estates flow towards Kihoto
estate {due to its geographical location}, into the lake.
A need to incorporate urban agriculture landuse in the integrated recreational open space
planning, will help in the promotion of less development intense landuse which can be practiced
around the lake, thus incorporating the water access by the farmers from the lake in the
rehabilitation and reclamation of the Kihoto corridor riparian reserve.
79 | P a g e
6.2.5 Enforcement of planning and policy guidelines
The physical development plan being prepared for the area and the existing legal, policy and
physical planning standards should be enforced by the relevant authorities such as NEMA and
the Municipal Council of Naivasha among others. Legal and policy framework that relate to
development close to the riparian areas should be reviewed.
6.2.6 Community and Stakeholder involvement
The community and stakeholders involved with some specific interests in the riparian reserve
will be impacted either positively or negatively with actions taken after this research. They are
therefore important participants during the decision making to come up with a good development
proposal for the Lake Naivasha, Kihoto corridor riparian reserve.
The decision making process will therefore take into account the needs and interests of the
communities living around the riparian reserve. Therefore a skill such as participatory urban
appraisal is a key one to ensure participation of urban residents. The stakeholders in this case
will include National and County governments, CBOs, NGOs and the resident community
among other developers. Consultation with the stakeholders will ensure acceptance of the
projects and prioritization of the best projects in the area under study.
During the study different questionnaires were administered to different stakeholders to ensure
that they were involved in the decision making process as far as the riparian reserve is
concerned.
The community and stakeholders are always involved during the implementation process of any
plan and thus cannot approve to any development in which they were not consulted. Community
participation and stakeholder involvement is therefore an important aspect of research which any
researcher should not take for granted.
6.3 AREAS OF FURTHER RESEARCH
Ways of improving land subdivision process by incorporating planning in all the phases.
Ways of controlling urban sprawl within settlements next to environmentally fragile area
such as wetlands and forest.
80 | P a g e
REFRENCES
Acquaah-Harrison, R (1994) Background Report on Human settlements and Social
Services. Accra.
Arefi, M. and Myers, W. (2003) what is public about public space? Visakhapatnam, India.
Bookchin M. (2000) Introduction from the limits of the city, 1986, in City cultures Readers.
London.
Booth, D. (2005) Missing Links in the Politics of Development, working paper 256, New
York.
Briggs, J. and Mwamfupe, D. (2000) Peri-urban development in an era of structural
adjustment in Africa: the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Urban Studies, 37(4) page 797-
809, Carfax Publishing.
Bromley, Ray (1997) Organization, regulation and exploitation in the lakes riparian
reserves, Columbia, World developments, 6, page 1161 – 1171, Pergamon Press.
Brown, A. (2000) Urban space in the context of sustainability: a case study of Harare.
Brown, A. (2002) Cities for the urban poor: urban space as a resource for sustainable
development, in Development and Cities, ed. D. Westendorff and D.Eade, Oxford, Oxfam
GB.
Carr, S, Francis, M., Rivlin, L. and Stone A. (1992) Public Space, Cambridge, Cambridge
University Press.
Cho, M. (2002) Civic space in urban Korea, International Development planning Review,
page 419-432, Liverpool University Press.
Cloke J. (1988). Policies and plans for rural people. St. David’s university college, Boston,
London.
Daily Nation. (2013, December 23). Water pollution effects , pp. 32-33.
Devas, N. and Rakodi, C. (1993) Planning and managing urban development, in Managing
Fast Growing Cities: New approaches to urban planning in the developing world,
Longman Scientific and Technical.
Douglass, M.(2002) Civic space, Globalization and Pacific Asia cities, International
Development Planning Review page 21-40, Liverpool University Press.
81 | P a g e
Eskeli, A. (2002). Spatial planning, access and infrastructure, in Urban Livelihoods: A
People-centred Approach to Reducing Poverty, London.
Gehl, J. and Gemzoe, L. (2004) Public Spaces, Public Life: Copenhagen, Copenhagen,
Danish Architectural Press and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of
Architectural Publishers.
Hitchcock, H.R., and Johnson, P. (1932). The International Style, New York: Museum of
Modern Art.
Hodson M, Marvin S. (2009). Urban ecological security: a new urban paradigm?
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 33(1): 193–215.
Howell, P. (1993). Public space and the Public Sphere in environment and planning,
Oxford, Butterworth Architecture.
http:www.informalsettlementsdevelopmentinAfrica
Human Development Report (2006), UN Development Programme, p.14.
Karisa. (2010) A negotiated framework for rehabilitation of riparian zones in Nairobi city:
the case of Mathare river valley. 5-6.
Mathey, K (2000) Urban Agriculture, Trialog 6: A Journal for Planning and Building in The
third World: Special Issue, vol.2 p.3-43
Mitulla, D. (2003) Public Places, Urban Spaces: The dimension of urban design, Nairobi.
Naivasha in a brief. Retrieved October 15, 2015, from http://www.sde.co.ke
National Council for Law Reporting (Kenya), (2010). The County Government Act 2012.
Government Printer, Nairobi, Kenya.
National Council for Law Reporting (Kenya), (2012).Transition to Devolved Government
Act 2012.
Neal, P (2003) Urban villages: and the making of communities. Spon press: London
Omoke, L. (2002) Sustainable Livelihoods Approach: Concept and Practice,
http://www.devnet.org.nz/conf2002/papers, accessed November 2015.
Osewe A.I and Otiang’a Owiti. (2007). Human impact on lake ecosystem . Nairobi.
Otiang’, K. (Claiming rights to the street: the role of public space and diversity in
governance of the street economy and Urban Governance, Nairobi.
82 | P a g e
Perry, C.A (1929), The Neighbourhood unit, A Regional survey of New York and its
environments, Volume VII, 270 Madison, New York.
Planning, (1981). Proceedings of the national planning conference. Planners press
American planning association, Washington D.C, Chicago, Illinois.
Prescott, J.A. (1971) Hong Kong: the form and significance of a low density urban
development, in Asian Urbanization: a Hong Kong Casebook, Hong Kong University Press.
Hong Kong.
Republic of Kenya, (1996). Physical Planning Act, Government Printers, Nairobi, Kenya.
Republic of Kenya, (1999). Environment and Management Act (EMCA), Government
Printers, Nairobi, Kenya.
Republic of Kenya, (2010). Land control Act, Government printers, Nairobi, Kenya.
Republic of Kenya, (2010).The constitution of Kenya, Government printers, Nairobi,
Kenya.
Republic of Kenya, (2011). Urban Areas and Cities Act, Government printer, Nairobi,
Kenya.
Republic of Kenya, (2012). Lake Naivasha Basin Intergrated Plan, Government Printers,
Nakuru.
Republic of Kenya,(2012). Land Act, Government printer, Nairobi, Kenya.
Republic of Kenya,(2012). The draft National Water Policy, Government printer, Nairobi,
Kenya
UN- HABITAT (2003): The Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements,
2003.
United Nations Development Programme,(2007). Human Development Report 2007/2008,
Fighting Climate Change: Human Security in a Divided World. United Nations
Development Programme: New York, USA.
83 | P a g e
Figure 38: Position of Lake Naivasha in relation to other wetlands lake in Kenya
Source: Otianga, Owiti and Owese, 2006 Source: Author, 2015
APPENDIX
84 | P a g e
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
QUESTIONNAIRES
Appendix 1: Household Questionnaire
UNIVERSTY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT 2015/2016
Research Topic: Challenges of landuse change and settlement growth on Lake Naivasha
riparian reserve (A case study Kihoto estate, Naivasha)
Declaration: The information gathered is confidential and will be used purely for academic
purpose only.
HOUSEHOLD QUESTIONNAIRE
Questionnaire No. ………….. Date of Interview ………………..
Name {optional}…………………………………………………………………
Age {optional}……………………………… Gender: [1] Male [2] Female
Marital Status: [1] Single [2] Married Religion…………………..
[3] Divorced [4] Widow [5] Widower
Education background [1] Primary [2] Secondary [3] Tertiary [4] None
Area of residence:
[1] Zone “A” (Area between the highway and the pipeline reserve)
[2] Zone “B” (Area between the oil-pipeline reserve and the boundary of the former Kihoto
Farms)
[3] Zone “C” (Riparian reserve zone/area)
Number of people composing the household………………………………………………….
1. Were you born in Kihoto?
[ ] Yes {continue to question 3} [ ] No {continue to question 2}
85 | P a g e
2. If No:
2.1 Where did you live before? .....................................................
2.2 When did you settle in Kihoto?
i. 1970 – 1980 [ ]
ii. 1981 – 1990 [ ]
iii. 1991 – 2000 [ ]
iv. 2001 – 2010 [ ]
v. 2011 and above [ ]
2.3 What are the reasons that made you settle in this estate?
i. Bought land [ ]
ii. Close to place of work [ ]
iii. Availability of cheap housing [ ]
iv. Other reasons (specify).............................................................................................
3. If Yes:
3.1 Do you own the parcel of land you live on?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
3.2 If yes to the above, when did you acquire the land?
i. 1970 – 1980 [ ]
ii. 1981 – 1990 [ ]
iii. 1991 – 2000 [ ]
iv. 2001 – 2010 [ ]
v. 2011 and above [ ]
4. What is the approximate size of the land?
i. 1/8 Acre [ ]
ii. ¼ Acre [ ]
iii. ½ Acre [ ]
iv. 1 – 5 Acre [ ]
v. Above 5Acres [ ]
4.1 What is the nature of your land’s tenure?
i. Freehold [ ]
ii. Leasehold [ ]
4.2 What type of ownership document do you have?
i. Title deed [ ]
ii. Letter of allotment [ ]
iii. Others (specify)…………………………………………………………………
4.3 Have you ever subdivided your land?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
4.3.1 If yes, how many units and size? ...................................................................................
86 | P a g e
4.3.2 What are the reasons for the subdivision? .....................................................................
4.3.3 Did you get any consent to sub-divide the land from any government institution?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
4.3.3(a) If Yes, from which institution?
i. Municipal Council of Naivasha [ ]
ii. Ministry of Land (Physical Planning department) [ ]
iii. Land Control Boards [ ]
iv. Others (specify)……………………………………………………..
4.3.3 (b) If No, how did you get the subdivision done?...................................................
5. Have you ever experienced or seen any conflict arising from the settlement development in
the area?
[ ] Yes (explain)…………………………………………………………………………………
[ ] No
5.1 How was the conflict resolved? ..............................................................................................
6. Water and sanitation facilities
6.1 Do you own a toilet? [ ] Yes [ ] No
6.1.1 If No how do you access this service
i. Shared [ ]
ii. Paid [ ]
iii. Other (specify)………………………………
6.2 Do you own a bathroom? [ ] Yes [ ] No
6.2.1 If No how do you access this service
i. Shared [ ]
ii. Paid [ ]
iii. Other (specify)…………………………… …….
6.3 How do you dispose off your garbage?
i. Collected by the Municipal Council [ ]
ii. Collected by private individuals [ ]
iii. Dumping within the riparian reserve [ ]
iv. Dumpsite within the estate [ ]
v. Other (specify)……………………………
6.4 Where do you get your water from?
1. From the lake [ ]
2. From water kiosks [ ]
3. Buying from water vendors [ ]
4. Piped water connected to houses [ ]
5. Other (specify)………………….. …………….
87 | P a g e
7. In your own opinion, what do you think makes Kihoto stand out from other estates in
Naivasha? ......................................................................................................................................
8. Is there any environmental risk that poses danger to the growth and sustainable development
of Kihoto estate towards the lake?
[ ] Yes (explain)……………………………………………………………………………………
[ ] No
9. Have any action being taken to mitigate this environmental risk? [ ] Yes
9.1 By who? (the name of the agency) ..........................................................................
9.2 What did they do? ......................................................................................................
10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in Kihoto (fill the table below)
Advantages Disadvantages (problems facing the estate)
11. In your understanding what makes the lake’s riparian reserve (space between the lake and
where people settle) important to the community around the lake?
…………………………………………………………………………………….………..
12. In your opinion what should be done to ensure that the lake’s riparian reserve is conserved?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
“This exercise is in-line with the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Chapter Four, 10th Article,
which advocates for community participation in any exercise that affects or is of concern
to the public”
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!!!
88 | P a g e
Appendix 2: Farmers Questionnaire
UNIVERSTY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT 2015/2016
Research Topic: Challenges of landuse change and settlement growth on Lake Naivasha
riparian reserve (A case study Kihoto estate, Naivasha)
Declaration: The information gathered is confidential and will be used purely for academic
purpose only.
FARMERS QUESTIONNAIRE
Questionnaire No. ………….. Date of Interview ………………..
1. How long have you been practicing farming in this area/space …………………………….
2. Why did you prefer this specific location? ……………………………………………………
3. Do you own the area of land?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
3.1 If No who owns it ………………………………………………………………………….
4. Is there any environmental conflicts (problems) and benefits you experience from the lake in
your agricultural practice? .........................................................................................................
5. What farm produce do you produce? ..........................................................................................
5.1 Where do you market your produce? .................................................................
5.1.1 How much do you get from the practice in a peak season?
5.1.2 How much do you get from the practice in an off peak season?
6. Which environmental issues do you experience in your farming activities over the year?
7. Do you think farming has an effect on Lake Naivasha?
[ ] Yes (explain)………………………………………………………………………………..
[ ] No (why?) ……………………………………………………………………………….
8. As a farmer in this place, which projects will you propose to be initiated in this area to allow
for Sustainable Development of the lake and conservation of the riparian reserve? ……..............
“This exercise is in-line with the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Chapter Four, 10th Article,
which advocates for community participation in any exercise that affects or is of concern
to the public”
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!!!
89 | P a g e
INTERVIEW SCHEDULES
Appendix 3: NEMA Interview Schedule
UNIVERSTY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT 2015/2016
Research Topic: Challenges of land use change and settlement growth on Lake Naivasha
riparian reserve (A case study Kihoto estate, Naivasha)
Declaration: The information gathered is confidential and will be used purely for academic
purpose only.
NEMA INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Interview Schedule No. ………….. Date of Interview ………………..
1. Do you have strategies in place to handle the issue of the lake’s riparian reserve
encroachment in Naivasha municipality and its surroundings? ………………………
2. Which are some of these strategies? ………………………………………………………
3. Is there an environmental action plan for Lake Naivasha riparian reserve? ……………….
3.1 If No, why? ............................................................................................................
3.2 If yes which are the key objectives of the plan? …………………………………
4. According to your standards what should be the width of a lake riparian reserve?
……........................................................................................................................................
5. What courses of action does your institution do, to take over the encroachment of the
riparian reserve by informal land use activities and settlement development? ..............
6. Which challenges do you face in management and conservation of the environment? …..
7. What are some of the measures employed by your organization to protect riparian
reserves from urban development? ……………………………………………………… 8. According to your organization which land uses are allowed within the lake’s riparian
reserve? ………………………………………………………………………………………
9. How can the land uses within Lake Naivasha riparian reserve be integrated for
sustainable development of the lake? ...................................................................................
“This exercise is in-line with the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Chapter Four, 10th Article,
which advocates for community participation in any exercise that affects or is of concern
to the public”
90 | P a g e
Appendix 4: Municipal Council of Naivasha Interview Schedule
UNIVERSTY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT 2015/2016
Research Topic: Challenges of landuse change and settlement growth on Lake Naivasha
riparian reserve (A case study Kihoto estate, Naivasha)
Declaration: The information gathered is confidential and will be used purely for academic
purpose only.
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF NAIVASHA INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Interview Schedule No. ………….. Date of Interview ………………..
1. What are the duties of the department? ...............................................................................
2. Has the department prepared any physical development plan for Naivasha municipality
and its environs? .....................................................................................................
3. Is there any advisory or zoning plan that guides physical development in Kihoto area? .....
4. Do you have mechanisms in place to control settlement developments in Naivasha
municipality? ...................................................................................................................
5. Are there regulations for land subdivision in Kihoto estate?
[ ] Yes (are they adhered to)……………………………………………………………….
[ ] No
6. In your opinion, what are the effects and remedies of uncontrolled land subdivision in the
estate? ……………………………………………………………………………………
7. What measures have you put in place to control encroachment of the lake’s riparian
reserves? ....................................................................................................................
8. What waste management services do you offer within the Kihoto settlements to ensure
that residents don’t take opportunity of open spaces and riparian reserve? ………
9. What challenges do you face in the management and protection of public lands such as
riparian reserves? …………………………………………………………………
10. What your opinion towards repossessing (if it happens) the encroached riparian reserves
for the sustainable development of Lake Naivasha? ……………………………………
“This exercise is in-line with the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Chapter Four, 10th Article,
which advocates for community participation in any exercise that affects or is of concern
to the public?” THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!!!
91 | P a g e
Appendix 5: CBO Interview Schedule
UNIVERSTY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT 2015/2016
Research Topic: Challenges of landuse change and settlement growth on Lake Naivasha
riparian reserve (A case study Kihoto estate, Naivasha)
Declaration: The information gathered is confidential and will be used purely for academic
purpose only.
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Interview Schedule No. ………….. Date of Interview ………………..
Name of the group: ……………………………………………………………………………….
1. Who are the members of the group? ...................................................................................
2. Which environmental issues does your organization address? …………………………..
3. What developments has your group initiated to conserve the lake’s riparian reserve? …
4. How do you fund your activities? …………………………………………………………
5. Do you receive government funding? [ ] Yes [ ] No
6. If No, where do you get the funds to run the affairs of your group? ………………………
7. What is your opinion on settlement or developments activities on the lake’s riparian
reserve? …………………………………………………………………………………….
8. Do you think the public would be willing to sustainably manage this riparian reserve?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
9. If Yes, how can they be organized? ……………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………
“This exercise is in-line with the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Chapter Four, 10th Article,
which advocates for community participation in any exercise that affects or is of concern
to the public”
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!!!
92 | P a g e
UNIVERSTY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT 2015/2016
Research Topic: Challenges of landuse change and settlement growth on Lake Naivasha riparian reserve (A case study Kihoto estate,
Naivasha)
Declaration: The information gathered is confidential and will be used purely for academic purpose only.
FIELD SURVEY CHECK LIST
SECTOR FACTOR OBSERVATION
WATER AND
SANITATION
Source of water
Waste disposal mechanism of:
1. Solid wastes
2. Waste water
3. Storm water
Water treatment impact to the lake
LAND MANAGEMENT Types of community land present
& their location{within the zones
created}
Appendix 6: Field Survey Check List
93 | P a g e
% of community land encroached
by what land uses:
1. Riparian reserve
2. Pipeline reserve
3. Green open space
SETTLEMENT GROWTH Morphological arrangement of the
settlements:
1. Uniform
2. Strata uniformity
3. Disorganized
Street width left after subdivision
Size of the plots and plot coverage
Type of housing:
1. Block
2. Detached house
3. Extension to an
existing house
4. Semi-detached house
94 | P a g e
Appendix 7: Research Authorization Letter
