Soin-Koru dam to commence within the next two months, says NWHSA Board Chair

 Board Chairman of the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority Erick Okeyo address the media in Kisumu today during leadership consultative meeting over Soin-Koru Dam which is suppose to commence construction within the next two months-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

July 23, 2020

 Soin-Koru dam to commence within the next two months, says NWHSA Board Chair 

Construction towards Soin-Koru Multipurpose dam is set to kick off in the next two months.

The National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority says the construction towards the mega project will be underway by September this year.

Addressing the press after meeting stakeholders in the project in Kisumu today, the Board Chairman of the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority Erick Okeyo said the flagship project by the National Government will cost an estimated shs 25 billion.

Okeyo says the project is currently under the procurement process which has officially closed where the tenders have been closed and are now under requisite evaluation.

The Board Chair says the process will conclude within the next one month after which the site will be handed over to the contractor to commence the work.

“The National Environment Management Authority interim authority to commence works ahead of the license where the requisite fees has been paid and the notice calling for comments from stakeholders should be published ,” Okeyo says.

He adds that the other that is currently running is compensation to the affected persons where the National Land Commission is already holding shs 400 million on behalf of the Authority for compensation.

The Chairman says about shs 2 Billion will be used to compensate the land owners, adding 360 parcels of land will acquired for the project.

He says that 230 of the parcels of land will be affected in Kisumu County while 130 in Kericho county.

Muhoroni MP James Onyango Koyoo led his Parliamentary colleagues from Kisumu County to loud the Government’s move to come up with the project.

His sentiments were also echoed by Nyando MP Jared Okello his Seme Counterpart Dr. James Nyikal.

The proposed Soin-Koru Dam is a vision 2030 flagship project which is located in Kisumu and Kericho counties along River Nyando approximately 5 kilometers upstream of Muhoroni town and River Nyando is one of the seven major rivers within the Lake Victoria Basin originating from the upper highland areas and flows into the Lake Victoria.

The Soin-Koru Dam started in 1982 by Italian Government and taken over by the NWCPC in 2009.

The Project’s components include Rockfill dam of 54 meters height, storage capacity of 93.7MM cubic, water treatment works of 71.279 Meters cubic per day.

Others include trunk distribution pipelines of diameters 1200-150 millimeters and of total length of 122.54 kilometers as well as 12 number storage tanks of total capacity of 23.400 meters.

One of the major benefits of the project will be to control the perennial floods caused by the river Nyando over-topping its banks thereby affecting a section of residents in Kisumu County especially in Nyando, Muhoroni and Nyakach constituencies.

Flooding within lower reaches of Kano plains displaces more than 5,000 people yearly costing about shs 50 million due to damages and further shs 30 million for rehabilitation measures.

Another benefit is water supply for domestic, commercial {Irrigation} and institutional use as all the residents near the dam site and downstream of the dam site will be served with water to supplement the existing facilities where areas like Kisumu City and the emerging towns of Ahero, Chemelil, Miwani, Muhoroni, Koru, Awasi, Koitaburot, Katito, Masogo and Ombeyi will be major beneficiaries as a result of this project.

The other benefits include increased area under irrigation schemes in and around Ahero and West Kano Irrigation schemes from 1,800 hectares to 5,370 and also power generation of approximately 2.5 megawatts which will be used to pump water to higher areas while excess power sold to Kenya Power as this will translate to cheaper water and additional income for the two counties.

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