Koru-Soin Multi-Purpose Dam to be constructed through Partnership

 

Cabinet Secretary in charge of ICT and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo attending a Sunday Church Service at ACK Orije Parish in Kadibo Sub-County-Photo Courtesy

By Dickson Odhiambo

March 18, 2024

Koru-Soin Multi-Purpose Dam to be constructed through Partnership

THE Koru-Soin Multi-Purpose Dam will have its construction done through Public Private Partnership, the Kenya Kwanza Government has said.

Cabinet Secretary in charge of ICT and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo says the initial model that was utilized for the said multi-purpose dam indicating that its financing was to be done by the national exchequer only was the one that was not visible.

Addressing the residents of Kabonyo area of Kadibo Sub-County during a church Service at Orije ACK  Parish, Owalo said the Government has resorted to embracing Public Private Partnership towards the construction of the Koru-Soin Multi-Purpose Dam.

He says if the issue of constructing the dam pursued to a logical conclusion then the issue of perennial flooding in Kano and its environs will be a thing of the past.

“The construction of this mega dam will also help in sorting out the issue of water and electricity challenges within the areas it will cover,” Owalo says.

Owalo at the same time says the Government is very keen on uplifting the road infrastructure in Nyanza region and other parts of the country.

The proposed Koru-Soin 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 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.