MP asks government to fastrack construction of Koru-Soin dam

Kisumu

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

KNA by Chris Mahandara

Muhoroni Member of Parliament (MP) James Onyango K’oyoo has asked the government to fastrack construction of Koru-Soin multi-purpose dam to control flooding in Nyando.

With heavy rains expected to pound the country in September, households downstream River Nyando are likely to be displaced since the project has stalled.

The MP said it was unfortunate that the government was dragging its feet on the multi-billion project as families in the area grappled with flooding.

The dam is designed to store 93.7 million litres with 72 million litres expected to be used to irrigate 2, 570 hectares and generate 2.5 megawatts of hydropower.

Through the project residents of Kericho and Kisumu counties are also set to receive portable water.

The water component includes water treatment works, distribution pipework and storage tanks.

“When President Ruto was here in January we had a meeting with him and he proposed that the dam will be done through public private partnership (PPP). However we still don’t see how this is going to be done,” he said.

The proposal to hand over the project to an investor to build, operate and hand over, he said, was not tenable.

K’oyoo said it was not possible for the investor to charge the locals for water to recover his money adding that the government must explore ways of raising funds for the project.

“How do you expect these people to pay for water to enable the investor to recover his money which runs into billions of shillings?” he posed.

K’oyoo claimed there was a deliberate attempt by the government to abandon projects initiated by the Jubilee government in the region.

This, he said, was uncalled for since the government must serve all Kenyans equally regardless of their political affiliation.

“We are talking to them and we hope that they are going to listen so that our people don’t continue to suffer,” he said.

The dam is a vision 2030 project. Others include Maruba dam in Machakos (completed), Chemususu dam in Baringo (completed) Kiserian dam in Kajiado (completed) and Siyoi dam in West Pokot (on-going).

Courtesy ; K. N. A