Kenya Electricity Generating Company has said its dams along Tana River are not yet full despite the ongoing heavy rains.
Kengen’s Eastern regional manager Julius Odumbe said yesterday that consequently, no dam has been opened to discharge water downstream.
Odumbe said if there is need to release some water, the company will alert people downstream before opening up the dams.
He said Masinga Dam, which is the main reservoir among the hydroelectricity dams, was at 1038m above sea level before the rain started. After the rain, it is at 1047.2m, while the maximum level is 1056m above sea level.
He spoke during a tour of the Seven Forks dams by Kengen’s shareholders.
He said that in the past, Kengen has been unfairly accused of releasing water from its Seven Forks hydro-electricity power dams in Machakos and Embu counties, leading to flooding in Tana River and the displacement of people.
“We have had adverse media coverage in Garissa after there was some people were displaced, but that flooding is not from here [dams] and as you can see. The water has not reached the highest mark,” Odumbe said.
He said the flooding was caused by some rivers in Tharaka Nithi county.
Chairman Joshua Choge and managing director and CEO Rebecca Miano were present.
Miano said they will continue monitoring the water levels in the dams to ensure prudent management of the resource during the ongoing rains.
