The construction of Koru-Soin Dam in Kisumu County, Kenya is about to start. The county mayor, Professor Anyang Nyongao, announced the news and said that the National Water Harvesting Administration (NWHA) and the communities living on the designated land for the project have signed an agreement.

Affected families on 2,500 acres of land in Kisumu and Kericho counties have been hired to pave the way for the construction of the dam. Nyong'o said that before the construction of the multi-functional dam, the national government is formulating ways to compensate people affected on 360 plots of land.

Koru-Soin Multifunctional Dam

The Koru-Soin multifunctional dam will be built on the Nyando River upstream of Muhoroni Town, Kisumu County, western Kenya. The dam will have a reservoir covering an area of more than 1,000 hectares, affecting 360 plots of land, of which 230 are located in Kisumu County and 130 are located in Kericho County. It will also play the role of a sand collector to reduce sedimentation downstream, which is the main cause of flooding, and ensure that the river flow is regulated to provide year-round irrigation water.

The project aims to prevent perennial flooding in the area and provide 71279 cubic meters of water to locals every day after completion. The newly built town of Ajero will continue to provide clean water for household use. The future supply of the dam will also operate a 2.5 MW hydroelectric power plant.

The federal government has committed 25 billion shillings to the project. The estimated cost of the dam and water supply is 30 billion shillings, and land compensation will cost 2 billion shillings.

"The completion of the dam will ensure that residents have access to clean, safe and cheap water for household, commercial and institutional use.Editor/Huang Lijun