Water stakeholders from Busia will meet on Friday to carry out an Environmental Social Impact Assessment for the Sh5 billion Kocholia Irrigation Dam project.
Water executive Isaac Alukwe said the assessment is a primary requirement for the Korean government, which is partly funding a project that is projected to offset perennial water shortages in Teso North subcounty. He said tenders will be announced after the validation exercise.
The Korean government, through Exim Bank, is investing Sh2.5 billion in the multi-purpose dam project, whose total cost is Sh5.8 billion.
The Kenyan government, through the Ministry of Water, is investing Sh1.9 billion. the remaining Sh1.4 billion will be availed by the African Development Bank.
“The multi-purpose project will support irrigation, supply water for domestic use and it will have a hydropower station,” Alukwe said on Thursday at the Amagoro Catholic Church.
He said the Malaba Water Supply and Sanitation project had not taken off as scheduled since the contractor is still waiting for the government to release money meant for the compensation of affected persons.
The contract for water supply component had been cancelled and tendered afresh, he said. Companies expecting to bid are supposed to collect bid forms from Rift Valley Water Works Development Authority.
“We have come up with stop-gap measures where Sh5 million has been factored in the supplementary budget for repair of damaged pipelines,” he said. The contractor is already on the site to ensure the water supply to Amagoro and Malaba towns is restored.
The department is also implementing minor water projects including drilling of boreholes and rehabilitation of dysfunctional pumps and water springs to increase water coverage across the country.
Edited by R.Wamochie
