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Water CS Chelugui announces nationwide inspection of dams

The Water CS Chelugui when he visited the site of Wednesday’s tragedy/COURTESY

NAKURU, Kenya, May 12 – Most of the dams in the country are more than seven decades old and dangerous to residents, Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui has warned.

Speaking in Solai Nakuru where a dam burst killing at least 45 people and displacing 450 families, the Water Cabinet Secretary said most of the dams were constructed during the colonial times.

Forty people are still missing and scores injured following the Wednesday night burst of a dam at Patel Coffee Estates Limited.

Chelugui said the national government in collaboration with the counties will inspect dams country wide.

“The government will check the materials used to build the dams, whether they were constructed on water ways and if the engineers involved were licensed,” he said.

Chelugui’s statement comes as it emerged that the seven dams at the Patel farm were all illegal.

It also emerged that alarm had been raised in good time to avert danger but nothing was done.

Residents said two of the dams had been leaking following the ongoing heavy rains.

Water Resource Management Authority boss, Simon Wang’ombe confirmed that the dams at the farm weren’t licensed.

Wang’ombe said efforts by WARMA to have the dams regularised has been fruitless.

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Chelugui said the government was organising a memorial service for the victims.

Search for the missing persons is ongoing.

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