Kenya to revive stalled US$122M Soin-Koru dam in a bid to boost rice production
KENYA – In a fresh attempt to revive the stalled KES 19.9 billion (US$122M) Soin-Koru dam project, the government has started negotiation with contractors to resume work in a bid to bolster rice production in Ahero irrigation scheme.
This comes six months after the contractor, China Jianxi International Kenya Limited and China Jianxi International Economic and Cooperation Company Limited, suspended operations citing non-payment.
Speaking during a tour of the project, Zachariah Njeru, Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary has assured the public that the Government was committed to ensure that the project located on the border of Kisumu and Kericho counties, takes-off to boost rice production in Ahero.
The project fully funded by the Government of Kenya, started on 27th August 2022 after nearly three decades of planning. The contractor was demanding KES 846.5 million (US$5M) before resuming excavation works.
According to Njeru, the contractor received an advance payment of KES 499 million (US$3M) which he has used over the last year to mobilize equipment and workers, set up a contractors’ campsite, and resident engineers camp, and geotechnical investigation for the dam site and construction materials.
“Excavation of the spillway is also 50% done.”
The government, he said, allocated KES 100 million (US$615,337) to the project in the 2022-2023 financial year budget against a proposed KES 3 billion (US$18.5M) making it difficult for the contractor to proceed as scheduled.
According to the CS, once it is completed, the dam will feed water into Ahero Irrigation Scheme by gravity, thus lowering the cost of rice production.
Currently, the Scheme was using electric pumps, incurring up to Sh. 4.5 million bills every month.
“Once this dam is completed, we are going to decommission these pumps. This will be of immense benefit to the government and farmers, since the cost of production will come down,” he said.
More than 30,000 farmers are currently benefiting from the scheme.
Njeru commended the scheme management and committed to support the farmers and the authority to achieve its vision.
In addition, Njeru said the dam will supply 72,000 cubic metres of water per day in Kapsoit, Kaitui, Kipsitet, Katitu, Muhoroni, Awasi and Ahero towns.
Besides water and food security, the project will generate of 2.5 megawatts at the Sondu Miriu Power Station.
The move comes at a time when the government of Kenya, through the National Rice Development Strategy seeks to increase rice production from 128,000 tonnes to 846,000 tonnes, sevenfold by 2030.
The ambitions follow the implementation of the second phase of the NRDS 2019-2030 which is ongoing and seeks to increase local rice production to a level where Kenya becomes self-sufficient.
To achieve this, the National Rice Development Strategy is focused on developing new rice varieties that require less water to grow and produce better yields.
As of 2022, government statistics showed that local paddy production registered a slight increment to stand at 192,299 tonnes.
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