Sh1bn Yamo dam to end Samburu’s water scarcity

The government is banking on the multipurpose Yamo Dam project in Maralal, Samburu County, to solve perennial water shortages in the region.

Water shortages bring extra expenses to hoteliers, farmers and the business community, who must buy the precious commodity from vendors at exorbitant prices.

The Sh1 billion dam is nearing completion, promising to set the dusty town on a path to industrialisation and lift hundreds of people out of poverty.

The dam will increase the supply of water, which will flow by gravity to Maralal from a new treatment plant.

Once complete, the 26-metre-high dam is expected to yield 2.2 million cubic metres of water per year, equivalent to 22 billion litres annually.

Located on a hilltop four kilometres north of Maralal, the dam is one of the Jubilee administration’s major projects and is expected to boost access to water for residents of Maralal and its environs.

Samburu County Commissioner Abdirizack Jaldesa said the mega project is 70 percent complete and will be ready for use early next year.

“The government is on course to complete the project on time. It was expected to be completed by the end of 2021 but work was delayed. By April 2022, the dam will be ready,” he said.

The dam, whose works began in 2019, is expected to be completed as President Uhuru Kenyatta will be preparing to leave office.

But it is also a reminder of the longtime suffering of Samburu residents.

Six decades after independence, pastoralists in the county are still contending with limited access to clean and safe drinking water.

Projected demand

Maralal residents have been subjected to water rationing and irregular water supply since the advent of devolution.

But this is set to change within the next one year when the dam starts operating, according to Mr Jaldesa.

With the Maralal population rising, the projected demand for water is also increasing.

Statistics from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show that the town’s population growth was 5.8 percent, raising pressure on scarce water resources.

“Maralal town is growing rapidly and there is rising water demand. But with the completion of this project, water problems will be solved,” the administrator said.

He added that the water will be used to generate 15 kilowatts of electricity, which will be used to run the daily operations of the dam.

Perennial water shortages have led to the proliferation of vendors, who make a killing from town residents by charging as much as Sh40 for a 20-litre water jerrican.

The vendors are accused of sabotaging the water supply system at the Nomotio dam to create artificial shortages and boost their sales.

The shortages also drive residents to buy water from unsafe and potentially contaminated sources.

Locals blame greedy cartels in the water distribution chain who they say control supply and sell the commodity at a premium.