Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa has announced that the Siyoi Muruny Dam project in West Pokot County is nearing completion, with construction progress now standing at 86.7 percent.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 4, Mugaa noted that the project is designed to improve livelihoods by increasing access to reliable water resources.
"The Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda prioritises investments that strengthen agriculture, create jobs, and uplift communities from the grassroots, and the Siyoi Muruny Dam is a clear demonstration of this commitment," he wrote.
Mugaa outlined the key engineering features of the project, noting that the dam has been designed to store millions of cubic metres of water to serve the growing needs of the area.
"The main structure is a 30-metre-high cyclopean concrete dam measuring 193 metres in crest length, with a total embankment volume of 63,000 cubic metres designed to hold 8.9 million cubic metres of water," he added.
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Mugaa also explained the scope of works covered under the two implementation phases and confirming that the project is now more than four-fifths complete.
"Construction works commenced in March 2015, and overall progress currently stands at 86.7 per cent. Lot 1 comprises the dam itself, a bridge across the reservoir, access roads, two community water projects, and some corporate social responsibility projects, while Lot 2 covers the conventional water treatment works at Kabichbich, storage tanks, and bulk transmission and distribution pipelines," he further said.
According to Mugaa, the completed facility will have a far-reaching impact by providing reliable water services to hundreds of thousands of residents while supporting key economic sectors across Kapenguria and neighbouring areas.
"Upon completion, the facility will supply clean and safe water to 350,000 residents in Kapenguria and its environs for domestic use, irrigation, livestock watering, and other local economic activities," he noted.
Following his inspection of the project, Mugaa called on the contractor to speed up the remaining works to ensure the project is delivered before the revised completion timeline.
"After the inspection, I urged the contractor to complete the works ahead of the revised scheduled completion date," he concluded.
This comes days after the government announced that the Mwache Multipurpose Dam Project in Kwale County is nearing completion.
In a statement on Wednesday, July 29, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the project is expected to significantly improve water security in Mombasa and Kwale counties.
"It is against this backdrop that the Mwache Multipurpose Dam Project in Kwale County is being implemented to strengthen water security and support sustainable economic growth across the Coast region," he wrote.
Omollo noted that the project, which was officially launched by President William Ruto in April 2023, is now in its final phase, with only a small portion of the construction works remaining before completion.
"The project, whose groundbreaking was presided over by H.E. President William Samoei Ruto in April 2023, is now in its final stages of construction, with major works at 99% done," he added.
Omollo said the dam will serve as a long-term solution to water shortages that have affected residents, farmers, and businesses in Mombasa and Kwale counties for many years by providing a dependable source of water once operational.
"Once completed, the 84-metre-high dam on the Mwache River at Fulugani will provide a reliable and long-term water source for Mombasa and Kwale Counties, addressing persistent shortages that have constrained households, agriculture and industry for decades," he further said.
According to Omollo, the facility will have the capacity to store about 127 million cubic metres of water and supply approximately 186,000 cubic metres every day for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes.
He added that it will also boost livestock production while creating more opportunities for economic development across the region.
"With a storage capacity of approximately 127 million cubic metres, the dam is expected to supply about 186,000 cubic metres of water daily for domestic, industrial and irrigation use, while also supporting livestock production and expanding opportunities for economic development in the region," he explained.
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