Deputy President William Ruto has asked contractors to comply with engineering standards for safety while building dams to avert calamities caused by poor workmanship.
Ruto said dams built to store water sometimes failed in some parts of the country with the resulting loss of life, social, economic financial and environmental losses.
Addressing senior officials from the ministries of Water and Agriculture at his Karen office, Nairobi, on Thursday, Ruto said dams should be built on accepted engineering standards of design and construction.
He said the existing ones should be properly maintained with a proper application of the current technology.
“Safety measures should be addressed during construction of dams,” Ruto said.
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Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui (Water and Sanitation), Principal Secretaries Joseph Irungu (Irrigation) and Fred Segor (Water) were present.
The Deputy President, at the same time, praised efforts being made by relevant departments to improve rainwater collection and stocking across the country.
Ruto said the country was keen to improve its water harvesting capabilities and curb wastage.
PS Segor said 141 small dams have been built across the country, saying 90 percent of the dams have been filled with water now that rains were pounding most parts of the country.
“These dams are being targeted at households so that they get water for drinking and for agricultural activities through irrigation purposes,” said Mr Segor.
The Deputy President said the building of water dams across the country remains key to empowering farmers and turning their dreams into realities as far as food production was concerned.
“It is encouraging that the Ministry of Water has gone to an extra mile to identify potential areas to harvest water whether in public or private lands so that they can engage in irrigation activities aimed at improving their lives and thus eliminate food insecurity in the country,” Ruto said...
“There is need to identify more land which is not under production as well as maximize the one that is already under production to improve the productivity,” added Mr Ruto.
Chelugui said the construction of 36 dams bordering forest areas would soon start after environmental issues were sorted out between his ministry and that of forestry.
The Deputy President said there was a need to devise ways to integrate the second crop in ‘our’ planting and harvesting season besides bringing additional land under production.
He said the Government was committed to eliminating the perennial problem of hunger that was still being witnessed in the country 50 years after independence.
“This is why the issue of food security is on our Big Four agenda. Every expectation is that we should have sorted out this problem of perennial food shortage earlier in the development of our country,” said Mr Ruto.
The Deputy President asked the ministries of Agriculture and Water to work closely with the county governments in identifying areas for water harvesting and construct storage to cater for livestock and irrigation in dry seasons.
“Our new paradigm shift should now be how to bring additional land that’s not under production to be under production as well as maximizing the one that is already under production for improved yields,” said Mr Ruto.
Earlier, the Deputy President met with the East Africa Legislative Assembly (Eala) Speaker Martin Ngoga.
Ruto said Eala has a unique opportunity to actualize a free trade area in the continent by enacting laws that will bolster regional integration, cooperation, strengthen customs and build a resilient common market.
“Africa can make huge gains, get richer and achieve more if we facilitate the free movement of people, goods, services and work together in trade and investment. Kenya believes we can prosper if we do more things together and less separately,” said Ruto.