The Kyumbi dam in Kenya is set to be rehabilitated into drinking water and irrigation water. The work was launched by the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) with a goal of improving water access, agriculture, and resilience to weather events for the community of Kyumbi and the broader region.
Another reason behind rehabilitating these structures is to prepare for the El Niño rains, which can result in heavy rainfall, flooding, and crop losses in Kenya and the Horn of Africa. Restoring these water infrastructure projects can help mitigate the impacts of such weather events.
READ:Afreximbank, Trident OGX Congo partner to support Mengo-Kundji-Bindi II oil fields
Kyumbi dam
The project located in the Athi River sub-county of Kenya, will have a storage capacity of 45,000 cubic meters. Part of the rehabilitated reservoir’s water will be treated to supply drinking water to approximately 3,000 households in Kyumbi, benefiting more than 18,000 people in the area.
The reservoir will also be used to supply water for irrigation purposes, potentially covering up to 20 hectares of plantations in Kyumbi, benefiting local farmers. The project requires funding of US $168,000. This funding is allocated from South Korea for the rehabilitation of 2,000 dams. In addition to this project, the Kenyan government is planning to build 10,000 small dams across the country for small-scale irrigation to enhance food security for farming communities.