Residents of West Pokot have been cautioned against vandalizing the infrastructure of the Siyoi-Muruny Dam as they were hindering the government’s commitment to complete the project.
Cabinet Secretary for Water Eng. Erick Mugaa expressed serious concerns over the increasing instances of destruction of metal and plastic pipes at the dam site project in Lelan Ward of the Pokot South constituency.
CS Mugaa said that such actions were not only illegal but also delayed the completion of the dam, a project expected to alleviate water shortages while fostering agricultural prosperity in the region.
“These acts of vandalism are undermining the efforts being made to ensure this dam is completed on time. We need to work together to ensure the success of this project, which will benefit the entire community,” Mugaa stated.
The Cabinet Secretary reiterated the government’s commitment to the timely completion of the project but cautioned that continued sabotage could lead to delays.
He urged the local community, leaders, and law enforcement agencies to combine efforts in protecting the project to ensure its successful completion.
Once operational, he said, the Siyoi-Muruny Dam will have a capacity of 8.9 billion litres, supplying over 38.9 million liters of clean water daily to more than 350,000 residents in Kipkomo, Pokot South, and Kapenguria sub-counties.
He said the project aimed at addressing long-standing water shortages, particularly in Makutano and neighboring areas, while also enhancing agricultural productivity and spurring economic development.
Eng. Mugaa said the dam was expected to provide essential water for irrigation, for domestic use, and for livestock, thus generally improving the livelihoods of residents in the region.
He called on the contractors to work promptly to complete the project by June 2025
“We understand that there has been a problem with funding since the project started in 2015. We have a deficit of 1.5 billion, with Sh900 million urgently needed to sustain ongoing activities for completion works,” said the CS.
West Pokot governor Simon Kachapin, on his part, urged area residents to be watchdogs so that unscrupulous individuals dealing in scrap metals and plastic pipes were stopped from vandalizing the project.
Kachapin said it was shocking that vandals dared destroy the materials meant for the completion of the project poised to bring long-term huge benefits and immensely transform the county.
“Once this project is completed, apart from accessibility to clean water and a workable sewerage system in our major towns, our people will use the water to do irrigation-fed agriculture. Our people should appreciate what our government is doing to improve their future,” the governor said.
“This project has the potential to transform lives by providing clean water and tackling diseases caused by water scarcity. However, we must allocate resources for pipelines to connect every household in the targeted areas,” he said.
By Richard Muhambe and Anthony Melly
