The construction of the Sh20 billion Soin-Koru dam is set to begin next month as the government moves to compensate landowners.
The multi-purpose dam to sit on 2,170 acres of land at the border of Kisumu and Kericho counties has displaced at least 1,200 people.
Irrigation Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi revealed that Sh2.2 billion will be used to settle 1,100 people and buy 455 land parcels within the reservoir area.
“Phase one project affected persons have been fully compensated except those with Settlement Fund Trustee (SFT) loan balances, pending and succession cases and disputes,” he said.
PS Mugambi noted that phase two compensation documentation has been processed by National Land Commission (NLC) and now awaiting the transfer of funds from the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority (NWHSA) to effect the compensation.
“The Authority has requested Sh2,209,068,620.00 from the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Sanitation to be able to compensate the farmers with respect to land,” the PS said after conducting a familiarisation tour at the Koru site on Thursday.
The two contractors, China Jiangxi International Kenya Limited and China Jiangxi International Economic and Cooperation Company Ltd Joint venture have started moving construction equipment to the site.
Mr Mugambi said the dam with a capacity of 93.7 million cubic metres is expected to control the perennial floods in the Nyando basin.
The multipurpose dam is scheduled to provide 72,000 cubic metres of water per day for domestic and institutional use and water for irrigation of 2,570 hectares of land and generation of 2.5 megawatts of hydropower.
Among other areas, the water will be supplied to Kisumu City, Ahero, Chemelil, Miwani, Awasi, Muhoroni, Koitaburot, Koru, Chemelil, Awasi, Miwani, Ahero and Rabuor townships.
The dam which is set to be completed by 2028 has been earmarked as an offsite infrastructure and a viable project, critical for the operation of 1,000 acre Kisumu Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Miwani area.
The Koru-Soin dam is a Vision 2030 flagship project expected to serve Kisumu and Kericho counties running from the slopes of Got Alila hill in Muhoroni and the slopes of Koitatui hill in Soin, Kericho County.
