El Molo Bay Primary School, the only primary school serving the El Molo community in Loiyangalani, is now half-submerged in the swelling waters of Lake Turkana.

For the pupils, going to school now means climbing into wooden boats and canoes instead of walking. The rising lake is destroying homes, classrooms, collapsing toilets, and forcing teachers to hold lessons on scattered patches of dry ground.

“We used to walk to school . Now we wait for the boat,” says 11-year-old Dibo, his uniform rolled above his knees to keep it dry.

“It’s like the lake is eating our history,” adds village elder Luka Galgalo, staring at the water where his home once stood.

What is happening?

Lake Turkana has been quietly expanding by more than 10% in surface area over the last five years. Scientists point to climate change, unusually heavy rainfall, and upstream inflows as the key drivers.

But for the El Molo people, the science is less important than the reality:

Homes are underwater.

Burial grounds are gone.

The community’s only school is barely functional.

Where and whom is it affecting?

This disaster has struck Loiyangalani Ward in Marsabit County, a remote area already facing poverty and limited infrastructure. At least 500 families have been displaced. Children are missing classes and teachers forced to move lessons to temporary shelters.

How are people surviving?

The Kenya Red Cross is providing food and emergency relief to hundreds of affected families. But moving inland means losing fishing livelihoods tied to the lake. Staying means risking more flooding.

“We are trapped between hunger and water,” says Mary Lokolia, a mother of five whose house now sits waist-deep in the lake. “If we leave, we starve. If we stay, we drown.”

Why does this matter now?

The flooding is not slowing down. As of July 2025, the lake continues to creep inland. El Molo Bay Primary School remains at the epitome of this unfolding crisis. A vivid symbol of how climate change is erasing communities in real time.

 Call to Action:

From Loiyangalani to the rest of Kenya, this is a wake-up call. Rising water is not only sinking the limited infrastructure but its also sinking futures. If you have been affected by flooding in your area, send us your photos, videos, and stories. Let’s make sure leaders see what is happening before more schools drown.