Tragedy at Lake Turkana: A Mother's Grief for Migrant Smuggling Victims

Senait Mebrehtu's heart-wrenching story of loss and anger reflects the escalating risks faced by those attempting to flee Eritrea via treacherous routes utilized by smugglers. As her 14-year-old daughter drowned in Lake Turkana, Senait's fight against human trafficking remains overshadowed by grief.

As the sun descended over the tumultuous waters of Lake Turkana, Senait Mebrehtu grieved for her 14-year-old daughter, Hiyab, who tragically drowned in her attempt to escape Eritrea. The poignant moment unfolded as Senait cast flowers into the deep greenish-blue lake, a symbolic farewell to a life cut short by the merciless currents of human smuggling.

Senait, an Eritrean Pentecostal Christian, sought refuge in Kenya three years prior, fleeing escalating religious persecution in her homeland. Tragically, she was separated from her daughters who were nearing conscription age. Desperate for their safety, she reluctantly arranged for smugglers to assist with their passage to Kenya. The decision proved catastrophic, as the girls were subjected to a hazardous weeks-long journey filled with peril.

The increasing use of Lake Turkana as a smuggling route has become a grim reality, with smugglers exploiting the lake’s treacherous conditions to transport migrants into Kenya. According to a female smuggler, who requested anonymity, the newly dubbed "digital route" has gained popularity as ground patrols become more stringent.

This smuggler openly discussed the dangers children face on these ill-equipped wooden boats, carrying more weight than they safely can. The harrowing account of Hiyab's demise came from Osman, another Eritrean migrant who witnessed her boat capsize due to dangerous winds.

Senait condemned the smugglers for recklessness, revealing her anguish over the heavy toll of human trafficking, which has seen countless lives lost to neglect and exploitation. The lake, known for its stunning beauty, has also become a burial ground, with fishermen discovering bodies of other migrants who have met similar fates.

With the UN estimating 345,000 Eritrean refugees across East Africa due to ongoing military oppression, danger is now a familiar shadow overshadowing their dreams of freedom. Uganda and Kenya have become prime destinations for these asylum seekers, drawn by the treacherous situations in neighboring Ethiopia and Sudan. However, the hope of a better life often leads to exploitation at the hands of traffickers.

Despite the dangerous realities facing many migrants, some aim to use Kenya as a stepping stone to reach safer havens in Uganda and South Africa. Unfortunately, the smuggling network’s reach extends throughout the region, often trapping individuals in dire conditions, and reports of abuse proliferate, revealing the grim consequences of their desperation.

Senait's mourning continues as she grapples with the loss of her daughter while expressing her relief that her elder daughter survived. "Pray that God heals our land and delivers us from all this," she laments, resonating with the plight of countless Eritrean families caught in a cycle of suffering born from war and oppression.