desert burner
August 25th, 2009, 07:36 AM
The government is turning to regional development authorities to bridge the gap in power generation and water supply and redeem food production from dependence on rain.
It hopes to cash in on the potential of river Arror in Kerio Valley, Mwache in the coastal region, and Sondu in Nyanza to increase power production and provide food and clean water.
These projects are to be managed by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), Coast Development Authority (CDA), and Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) respectively.
The hastening of these projects comes at a time when the role of regional authorities, formed in the early 1980s under the Focus for District Development, has diminished.
The once vibrant and glamorous authorities have slowly faded into oblivion. However, with the calamities besetting the country the authorities are receiving a new lease of life.
It is not yet clear how these projects will be undertaken, especially on River Sondu and Arror, as they are both playing host to other dams. Indeed, Sondu Miriu hydro power project is said to be producing 26MW from an installed capacity of 60 MW due to low water levels.
The ministry intends to carry out the three projects as part of Vision 2030 flagship projects slated for implementation during the First Medium Term Plan.
The medium term plan took over from the Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS), which was started in 2003 to revive the economy after decades of mismanagement.
ERS successfully managed to turn around the economy from 0.2 per cent growth in 2002 to an all time high of 7.1 per cent in 2007.
However, the post-election violence, the global financial crisis, and drought have conspired to push the economy back to the dogs.
For instance, in 2008 the economy grew by a paltry 1.7 per cent while the first quarter of this year recorded a 3.9 per cent growth.
Experts predict that the economy will not achieve the expected three per cent growth due to power and water rationing, and food shortage.
“The power cuts will have a negative effect on the economy, with a likelihood of less than two per cent growth,” said Mr Robert Shaw, an economist.
Demand for power and water has been rising over the years with supply dwindling.
The proposed development of Magwagwa multipurpose dam on river Sondu aims to produce 120 Megawatts of electricity, put an estimated 15,000 hectares of land under irrigation and provide water for domestic and industrial use to approximately 600,0000 residents.
The development of Mwache multipurpose dam is expected to inject 34 MW to the national grid while providing water for use to an estimated two million people across the coastal region.
The project will also place 400 hectares of land under irrigation. The Arror project targets at producing 70 MW of electricity, bringing 6,000 hectares of land under crop irrigation and providing water to an estimated half a million people.
Arror river, originating from Cherangany Hills, drains into the larger Kerio River where Turkwell Gorge hydro plant is located.
These ambitious regional projects will have to contend with the rapid drying up of rivers as their main catchments have experienced wanton destruction through illegal logging and settlement by squatters.
Catchments such as the Mau, Aberdares, and Cherangany Hills have been destroyed and the dwindling rivers that flow from these areas are a testament to the grim situation.
It hopes to cash in on the potential of river Arror in Kerio Valley, Mwache in the coastal region, and Sondu in Nyanza to increase power production and provide food and clean water.
These projects are to be managed by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), Coast Development Authority (CDA), and Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) respectively.
The hastening of these projects comes at a time when the role of regional authorities, formed in the early 1980s under the Focus for District Development, has diminished.
The once vibrant and glamorous authorities have slowly faded into oblivion. However, with the calamities besetting the country the authorities are receiving a new lease of life.
It is not yet clear how these projects will be undertaken, especially on River Sondu and Arror, as they are both playing host to other dams. Indeed, Sondu Miriu hydro power project is said to be producing 26MW from an installed capacity of 60 MW due to low water levels.
The ministry intends to carry out the three projects as part of Vision 2030 flagship projects slated for implementation during the First Medium Term Plan.
The medium term plan took over from the Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS), which was started in 2003 to revive the economy after decades of mismanagement.
ERS successfully managed to turn around the economy from 0.2 per cent growth in 2002 to an all time high of 7.1 per cent in 2007.
However, the post-election violence, the global financial crisis, and drought have conspired to push the economy back to the dogs.
For instance, in 2008 the economy grew by a paltry 1.7 per cent while the first quarter of this year recorded a 3.9 per cent growth.
Experts predict that the economy will not achieve the expected three per cent growth due to power and water rationing, and food shortage.
“The power cuts will have a negative effect on the economy, with a likelihood of less than two per cent growth,” said Mr Robert Shaw, an economist.
Demand for power and water has been rising over the years with supply dwindling.
The proposed development of Magwagwa multipurpose dam on river Sondu aims to produce 120 Megawatts of electricity, put an estimated 15,000 hectares of land under irrigation and provide water for domestic and industrial use to approximately 600,0000 residents.
The development of Mwache multipurpose dam is expected to inject 34 MW to the national grid while providing water for use to an estimated two million people across the coastal region.
The project will also place 400 hectares of land under irrigation. The Arror project targets at producing 70 MW of electricity, bringing 6,000 hectares of land under crop irrigation and providing water to an estimated half a million people.
Arror river, originating from Cherangany Hills, drains into the larger Kerio River where Turkwell Gorge hydro plant is located.
These ambitious regional projects will have to contend with the rapid drying up of rivers as their main catchments have experienced wanton destruction through illegal logging and settlement by squatters.
Catchments such as the Mau, Aberdares, and Cherangany Hills have been destroyed and the dwindling rivers that flow from these areas are a testament to the grim situation.