NAKURU, Kenya — More than 1,000 households in Kuresoi North, Nakuru County, are set to benefit from the rehabilitation and expansion of Mengit Dam, with the government targeting about 600 acres of farmland for irrigation.
The project in Nyota Ward will increase the dam’s storage capacity from approximately 150,000 cubic metres to about 400,000 cubic metres.
A water reticulation system will also be installed to distribute water to farms, allowing farmers to maintain production during dry periods and reduce their dependence on increasingly unreliable rainfall.
Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the expanded infrastructure would support the production of high-value crops alongside integrated crop and livestock farming.
The project is expected to create opportunities for households to improve farm productivity and increase incomes.
Drip Irrigation For School Gardens
The government also plans to establish drip-irrigated kitchen gardens in schools as part of efforts to improve nutrition while promoting efficient water use.
Kimotho inspected the dam on Monday alongside State House Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei as preparations continued for the second edition of the Mau Forest Complex Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme.
Koskei commended the State Department for Irrigation for rehabilitating and redesigning existing dams to respond to current agricultural and water management needs.
He said Mengit Dam would provide farmers with a more reliable water supply, particularly during drought, while supporting agricultural extension services and improved farming practices.
Project Expected To Create Jobs
Kimotho said the expanded dam and irrigation system would generate employment and income opportunities beyond farming.
These include agricultural input supply, farm services, produce handling and marketing, creating additional economic activity around the irrigation scheme.
The project forms part of the broader Mau Forest Complex conservation programme, with the government linking improved livelihoods among communities living around the forest to efforts to protect the ecosystem and its role as a major water catchment.
The initiative also forms part of government measures aimed at mitigating the effects of drought and improving food security under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Also present during the inspection were Principal Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs Aurelia Rono, Secretary for Administration Yatich Kipkemei, Irrigation Secretary Joel Tanui, Kuresoi North MP Mutai Kiprono Alfred and Nakuru Woman Representative Liza Chelule, among other national and county government officials.
