- Residents living along the downstream region have been urged to move to higher grounds to avoid the anticipated effects of the dam
- WRA warned the spillage might displace 300,000 people in its downstream along River Turkwel.
At least 40,000 families in Turkana are likely to be affected by floods if Turkwel dam overflows, Turkana County Government has said.
Turkana County Executive for Water Christopher Aletia warned that the spillage of Turkwel dam might affect at least 40,000 households along its downstream of Turkwel River.
“We are working closely with national government, Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), KenGen and Water Resource Authority on what can be done to save lives and livelihoods of people living along the downstream region. According the assessment that has been done health facilities, schools and water points are likely be destroyed when the dam spillover,” Aletia said.
The dam’s capacity is 1.6 billion metric tonnes and sits on 6,500 hecatares with a hydraulic head of 150M.
Turkwel dam water level on Tuesday morning at 6am was at 1,148 metres, with 1.90 metres remaining before the spilling.
WRA warned the spillage might displace 300,000 people in its downstream along River Turkwel.
The authority chief officer Mohammed Moulid Shurie said the spillage might sweep through more than five areas.
The areas in the danger include Katilu, Lodwar, Kalemnyang, Loyapat, Nakwamoru and other settlement along the shores of the Lake.
A joint meeting of stakeholders assessing the effects of Turkwel dam spillover including National Government, Turkana County Government, KenGen, KVDA and Water National Authority addressed journalists at Lodwar town.
The stakeholders urged Turkana residents to move to higher grounds before the spilling of Turkwel dam.
The teams, led by chairman of WRA Joe Mutambu, said they have visited the Turkwel dam and reports generated throughout the month are so alarming and the dam may overflow anytime.
Chairman Mutambu assured residents of the stability of the dam, adding that the dam is firm, dismissing rumors that it may collapse and cause more damage.
He said the issue is not about the stability of the dam at the moment but about the rapid rising of the water level that will overflow.
He said since the dam was constructed in 1986 and started working in 1991, water flow was at 18 to 19 cubic metres per second and currently, the water flow has risen to 50 cubic metres per second.
"We urge residents living along the banks of the river Turkwel to move to higher grounds, because the water will fill the dam and the dam will spillover and that water can't be accommodated in any river," he said.
The chairman said the reason the water level of the dam is increasing its because its raining in other parts and the water table is also rising, a phenomena that happens in a cycle of 50 years.
Turkana County Commissioner Wambua Muthama urged residents to move to higher grounds with their livestock.
Muthama said 54 irrigation schemes that get water from River Turkwel are likely to be swept by raging waters once the dam spillover.
He said food security in the region will be affected and they have called the Ministry of Devolution to aid the distribution of relief food to residents.