The multi-billion shillings Arror and Kimwarer dams that are envisioned to solve water shortage in the drought-prone Kerio Valley region will soon be relaunched.
Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) board chairman Mark Chesergon said they are in the process of developing an implementation road map for the mega-dam projects.
Chesergon, who did not specify the exact period that the Sh63 billion irrigation and hydroelectric projects would commence said the Cabinet had approved the jump-starting of the implementation of the dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
“The Cabinet has approved the settlement agreement for the resumption of the Arror and Kimwarer dams and as an authority we have developed a roadmap that will see the launch of its implementation once we are ready,” said the board chair.
The chairman made the remarks when he led the KVDA board, management, and other stakeholders in a tree planting exercise where assorted tree and fruit seedlings numbering 200,000 were distributed and planted in Chepyor, in Keiyo North sub-county.
Following a meeting between President William Rutto and his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella in March 2023, the President announced that Kenya agreed with Italy on the resumption of the two stalled projects.
Senior government officials have since been visiting the sites where the mega dams are proposed to be built.
The chairman added that KVDA was also implementing several other water and irrigation projects across their areas of operation. “KVDA is also sustaining Kamsiwet and Chepkum irrigation projects in Elgeyo Marakwet, Weiwei in West Pokot, and Napuu in Turkana counties among others,” he announced adding that the Authority was also starting a new irrigation project in Samburu.
In his remarks, KVDA Managing Director Sammy Naporos said the Authority was committing Sh700 million received from the National Government for conservation of water pans and planting assorted tree and fruit seedlings across Kerio Valley region.
Naporos said eight water pan projects in Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, and Baringo counties were at different stages of implementation.
He said a number of the water pans and small dams had harvested adequate amounts of rainwater during the ongoing rains experienced in the region. “Fifty percent of the water pans and small dams are complete and have harvested rainwater. These are long-term projects aimed at ensuring constant supply of water,” he said.
He added that KVDA has established several mega nurseries each with more than 300,000 assorted tree and fruit seedlings in West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Uasin Gishu, and Elgeyo Marakwet where members of the community can easily access the seedlings.
The MD however assured that the ongoing heavy rains had not damaged the irrigation projects undertaken by KVDA in Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, and Turkana counties.
He also announced that KVDA has been licensed to produce coffee seedlings, and in the next one year, it plans to produce one million coffee seedlings to be planted along the 70-kilometer Spencer line from Eldama Ravine in Baringo County to Embobut in Elgeyo Marakwet that has been adversely affected due to environmental degradation caused by changing land use systems.
“The destruction of the Spencer line over time along the hanging valley has caused massive environmental degradation leading to land and mudslides during the heavy rains,” said the MD.
By Kiptanui Cherono
