admin_county July 17, 2020

Establishment of Malewa Dam Will Have No Negative Impact To Lake Naivasha

The establishment of the 70-meter high Malewa dam in Naivasha projected to yield 45,000 cubic meters of water per day will not have any negative effects on Lake Naivasha.

While speaking during the consultative meeting with stakeholders, the County Minister for Water, Environment, and Natural Resources Eng. Festus Ngeno allayed fears raised by residents on possible damages to Lake Naivasha.

Eng. Ngeno said the project is in line with Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s commitment to providing sufficient and safe water to all county residents and will bridge the large investment gap in the water sector as projected in the Vision 2030 agenda.

” The proposed Malewa Dam is set to supply safe drinking water to Naivasha, Gilgil and Ol-kalou towns which suffer acute water shortage and once complete, the dam will bring a sigh of relief to residents in target areas that have been consuming otherwise consume water from sources that pose a great risk to their health” Eng. Ngeno said.

In Naivasha, the water supply from Malewa Dam will meet the estimated demand of approximately 7,800 cubic meters per day against the current supply of 6,600 cubic meters.

Stakeholders were presented with a feasibility report on the impact of the proposed water project upon Lake Naivasha and its environs, with statistics showing that the possible negative effects are quite negligible in the long run.

Ag. Chief Officer Water and Sanitation Engineer Johnson Kamau, assured stakeholders that the proposed Malewa Dam would be constructed in a manner that ensures continuity of water flow since the Malewa River would not be obstructed.

The meeting was chaired by the Nakuru County Commissioner Mr. Erastus Mbui.