NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 -The government has intensified efforts to complete the Itare Dam project in Nakuru County, aiming to address the critical water shortages faced by the region.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura announced that once finished, the dam will have a capacity of 27 million cubic meters and will provide 100,000 cubic meters of water per day to the residents of Nakuru and surrounding areas.
“The Itare Dam is part of the government’s broader 100 Dams Project, aimed at improving water storage and management across the country. Large dams like Itare will help store substantial amounts of runoff water, which currently contributes to the flooding situation in Kenya,” Mwaura indicated in a statement.
The Itare Dam project is expected to significantly boost water supply for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use within Nakuru County and its environs.
In 2019, the project had been mired in controversy when it came under scrutiny for alleged embezzlement of funds.
A scandal involving a dubious contract for the construction of the dam reportedly cost taxpayers Sh38 billion.
In connection with this scandal, eleven officials from the Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency (RVWWDA) were summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)over their involvement in the corruption allegations.
Itare dam’s construction was aimed at ending perennial water shortages in the South Rift region covering Molo, Kuresoi, Njoro, Rongao, Nakuru town, Kericho, and Baringo counties but the project never got to proceed even after the contractor CMC di Ravenna was paid huge amounts from the budgeted amount.
Detectives investigating the case asserted that up to Sh11 billion was paid to the contractor that later filed for bankruptcy in an Italian court.
The project was launched in 2015 and was projected to be completed in 2021.
