Nairobi: The long-awaited Muruny (Siyoi) Dam project in West Pokot County has reached 86.7 percent completion, raising hopes that residents will finally access reliable and safe water after years of delays that have seen the project miss several completion deadlines. Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eng. Eric Mugaa inspected the multi-billion-shilling project in Lelan Ward near Kapsait Primary School, accompanied by various officials, including the Chief Executive Officer Eng. Julius K. Mugun and Board Chairperson Dr. Jane Mwikali of the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority (NWHSA).
According to Kenya News Agency, the project, funded by the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, commenced on March 30, 2015, and was initially scheduled for completion within 36 months by March 2018. However, repeated funding delays and work stoppages have pushed the completion date several times, with the latest target now set for December 2026.
Once comp
lete, the project is expected to supply clean and safe water to about 350,000 people by 2035, benefiting residents of Kapenguria, Chepareria, Keringet, Kishaunet, Murkwijit, and surrounding areas through an extensive transmission and distribution network. Speaking during the inspection, Eng. Mugaa described the project as a flagship investment under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The Cabinet Secretary outlined the project’s two major components: the dam works and the water supply infrastructure. Lot One includes the dam, a bridge across the reservoir, access roads, two community water projects, and corporate social responsibility initiatives, while Lot Two comprises a conventional water treatment plant at Kabichbich, storage tanks, and bulk transmission and distribution pipelines. Upon completion, the dam will store 8.9 billion cubic meters of water, supported by a modern treatment plant capable of purifying more than 38 million liters of water daily.
Mugaa acknowledged th
e frustrations that residents have endured over the years due to the prolonged construction period but assured them of the government’s renewed commitment to completing the project. He disclosed that the government allocated slightly over Sh1 billion to the project during the previous financial year and a further Sh1.16 billion in the current budget to accelerate the remaining works.
The West Pokot Deputy Governor Robert Komolle welcomed the government’s renewed focus on completing the project, emphasizing its potential to significantly improve access to water and stimulate economic development across the county. Resident Engineer Tabitha Kimani noted that construction currently stands at 86.7 percent despite numerous interruptions caused largely by delayed payments, which resulted in repeated suspension of works.
Rev. Jackson Alukusia, the County Director for Peace and a resident of the area, thanked the national government for sustaining the project despite the delays. He highlighted the potential transfo
rmation in livelihoods that reliable water supply would bring to an area that has experienced persistent water shortages.
The Muruny (Siyoi) Dam, lying within the Rift Valley drainage basin and fed by River Muruny, is expected to become one of the largest water infrastructure projects in the North Rift region, supporting domestic water supply, agriculture, livestock production, and socio-economic development across West Pokot County.
