The national government, through the National Irrigation Board is investing Sh19 million on the rehabilitation of Museveni dam in Nyandarua.
The dam, which is on 10 acres, was built by a German popularly known as ‘Vidole Tisa’ because he had nine fingers at the start of World War 1 in 1914.
For decades since Independence, the dam has been the only source of water for residents of Weru location in Ol Joro Orok and a significant population from Rurii and Passenga locations in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua county.
But it has been neglected and is silted. What should be water is now grass and bushes. Water covers less than one acre and dries up during dry seasons, subjecting residents to suffering.
The de-silting and rehabilitation is being done by Elicon Construction Company whose engineer George Mbugua says the reservoir will hold 100,000 cubic metres of water on completion. But it can hold more if the terms of contract are to be expanded.
Mbugua says NIB asked him to complete the job before the onset of the long rains.
“Serving the people is a calling and that is why I have been here on a daily basis to ensure the job is successfully done, “ he says.
The contractor has been at the site three weeks and says the work will be done in the next two. The major challenge, he says, is siltation “but I have the right equipment and requisite knowledge and experience to deliver".
The area was part of the White Highlands, exclusively for European settlement between 1902 and 1961.
Most of the settlers were farmers who invested heavily in infrastructure and amenities for the growth of agriculture.
Museveni dam was one the infrastructures. Its rehabilitation is a result of lobbying by area Woman Representative Faith Gitau.
Last Saturday, Gitau toured the site and officially launched the project. She said Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri had told her to identify five dams for rehabilitation in Nyandarua.
“We agreed on one dam in each of the five constituencies in Nyandarua. Museveni is the first that I identified given its location and importance," she said.
Gitau said the projects are in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta's and his deputy William Ruto's pledge to "deliver Nyandarua from the shackles of marginalisation that have confined the agriculture-rich county to poverty".
President Kenyatta had, during the 2017 elections campaigns, promised the area three mega dams - Pesi, Kinja and Malewa. He declared himself "governor number one for Nyandarua".
“I thank the President and his deputy for their commitment to help Nyandarua. Were it not for them, I would not have succeeded in getting these dams," she said
Francis Ndung’u Mwai, 61, says his family settled in Museveni village in 1965. Mwai says they have never known another source of water for both livestock and domestic use.
“But the water level has been receding with time until the dam started to dry up during dry season. But this will now change and we shall have enough water for all our needs,“ he says.
He says the dam will change the area as residents will also use the water for irrigation and grow vegetables and fruits. This, he says, will give the youth something to do, hence reduce alcohol and drug use and crime rate.
“We now propose that the dame be renamed ‘Faith Gitau Dam’ because her lobbying has led to its restoration,“ he says.
David Kariuki says there are people fighting the Woman Representative over the project. “We urge them to cease this parochial politics as all we need is development.“ He did not name names.
Weru senior chief Peter Kiragu says the dam's rehabilitation is a great honour to the residents. It will create employment given its strategic location along Ol Kalou –Nyahururu road, he says.
The dam will serve over 5,000 people.
