More than 15,000 households in Homa Bay will soon have access to water after the government started the construction a Sh50 million dam.
Homa Bay MP Gladys Wanga and National Irrigation Authority deputy general manager Raphael Ogendo launched the construction of Ayuka Water Pan in Kanyaluo ward, Karachuonyo constituency.
The small dam is being constructed by the National Irrigation Authority on a 41-acre land. The water will be shared by residents of four wards in Karachuonyo and Kasipul constituencies — Central Karachuonyo, Kanyaluo, Central Kaispul and Kendu Bay Town.
Wanga on Friday said the project will alleviate residents from perennial water shortage.
“Residents have suffered from water shortage for long and that is why my office lobbied for this project from the National Irrigation Authority,” Wanga said.
The legislator said the water project will enable residents to irrigate.
“The residents want to grow variety of crops such as kales, tomatoes and onions using the water from this pan. At times, their livestock also suffer due to lack of drinking water,” Wanga noted.
Ogendo said the dam will be constructed in three phases in which each will take three months.
In the first phase, the contractor will excavate the ground up to a depth of three meters.
“The excavation will facilitate water collection and retention. We are going to excavate part of the dam that can hold 70,000 cubic meters in the first phase before doing more in the subsequent phases,” Ogendo said.
The construction will also involve the establishment of an embankment to prevent soil erosion from banks into the dam.
The work will lead to the construction of a system for drawing water and a cattle trough. The dam will also be fenced.
Ogendo urged residents to embrace tree planting.
“We want residents to plant trees. That is why we are going to construct the dam on 41 acres and leave one acre for tree nurseries,” Ogendo said.
Ogendo disclosed that the water will be used for irrigation of farmland of about 50 acres after completion of the project.
He said the National Irrigation Board was committed to ensuring food security in the county.
“We will start an irrigation project in the area to enhance food security which is one of the Big Four agenda of the Jubilee government,” Ogendo said.
According to Ayuka Water Pan Committee chairman Andrew Nyasoro, the water pan was started by the colonial government in 1956.
However it was abandoned before water dried due to siltation.
