Flood control measures put in place as Karimenu II dam fills to capacity

 

The government has assured Kenyans of adequate flood control and drainage works measures to mitigate flooding and overflow of water from the Karimenu II dam.

According to the Acting CEO in charge of Athi Water Works Development Agency, Engineer Joseph Kamau, revealed that the government has taken all necessary precautions to avoid any faulty eventuality urging locals to go about their businesses without fear.

Kamau assured those living around the waterbody of their safety and insisted that adequate measures have been put in place to prevent flooding as a result of the dam’s overflow.

He further revealed that the government has begun the process of compensating the community around the dam’s buffer zone to facilitate their relocation following the filling of the dam.

His statement came at a time when affected locals continue to plead with the government to compensate them before they relocate.

Water from the dam has begun to gobble up their homes, having already submerged their plantations including maize, bananas, napier grass among other crops.

But Kamau assured the locals that the compensation process will be completed before February next year and urged the affected residents to cooperate with the government for fast-tracking of the process.

Kamau noted that the water resource is projected to benefit more than 1.1 million residents of Gatundu, Ruiru, Juja, and parts of Nairobi with a clean water supply.

The 59m high dam across Karimenu River is currently holding 26.5 billion litres of water with the excess of it flowing downstream areas using a self-regulating spillway built near the dam.

By

 Antony Kioko