NAKURU, Kenya, Dec 23 – Twenty Water projects in Rift Valley and Central provinces constructed at a cost of more than Sh40 million have been rendered useless as the much anticipated El-Nino rains failed to materialise.
The Rift Valley Water Services Board (RVWSB) sunk boreholes and water pans at Sh40,038,524 for harvesting water during the El-Nino rains that were expected between early October this year and March next year.
RVWSB Chief Executive Officer, Eng Japheth Mutai said the cash was also financed the de-silting of water pans in Pokot and Narok districts.
“It was unfortunate that the pans and dams which have a capacity to hold 205,600 cubic metres of water are still dry, we wanted to harvest as much as possible and save the communities in those areas,” he said.
Eng Mutai noted that if the rains came as predicted by the weather forecast department people and animals in those areas would have had much water to sustain them for a long time and spare for the dry spells.
He noted that failure of the expected rains had far-reaching effects to the farmers as they had heavily invested on their farms.
The projects were implemented through the office of the Prime Minister and brought together various Ministries among them Water and Irrigation, Roads, Environment and Youths and Sports Ministries.
Mr Mutai said recruits in the Kazi kwa Vijana initiative were used to dig the dams and pans.
RVWSB provincial projects coordinator, Eng Kihiu Gaiko said he had prepared a report to the ministry detailing how the projects were done. “All the projects are ready but failure of rains has delayed their full exploitation,” he observed.
Eng Gaiko said the 20 projects were in fifteen districts including Mogotio, Njoro, Naivasha, East Pokot, Kuresoi, Nyandarua North and West, Koibatek, Keiyo North and South, and Kinangop.
He further disclosed that another Sh55 million had been allocated for the groundwork and preparations of the second phase of water projects in the region.
The projects will be initiated in various districts including Marigat, the three Pokot districts, Narok North and south, MogotiO, Njoro, Rongai, Kipipiri, Turkana, Keiyo and Kinangop.
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