We welcome the irrigation component of Koru/Soin Dam, Authority says
By Dickson Odhiambo
June 20, 2022
We welcome the irrigation component
of Koru/Soin Dam, Authority says
The National Irrigation Authority has welcome the
irrigation component of the Multi-Purpose Koru/Soin dam.
The Nyanza Regional Coordinator National Irrigation Authority Joel Tanui says the Authority has
fully welcomed the signing of the contract for the Koru/Soin dam which will
provide more water through gravity to both the Ahero and West Kano Irrigation
schemes under the dam's irrigation component.
Tanui says
the irrigation component of the dam project, they are having a close working relationship
with the Government of Japan for redesigning and improving the infrastructure of
the two irrigation schemes.
He adds that
the redesigning of the two schemes will greatly help in improving the efficiency
of the irrigation.
Tanui says
currently the rice farmers are being trained on proper water management, adding
that this is being supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency {JICA}.
He says the
current expansion will see about 20,000 irrigated land under the new project
within the two irrigation schemes of Ahero and West Kano, adding that currently
the two schemes now handles only 13,000 acres of land under irrigation.
Tanui says the Koru/Soin Dam will greatly help in addresing the issue of floods which have been affecting the rice fields within the region.
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 and 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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