State acquires more land for Sh20 billion Mwache dam for planting trees

Some of the tools abandoned by Sinohydro Mwache Dam workers at Mwache in Kwale County. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

The government has acquired more land for planting trees around the Sh20 billion Mwache multipurpose dam to mitigate against siltation.

Ministry of Water project engineer Simon Kibachio said the government has acquired a 30-metre wide land around the dam for planting trees to protect the project against siltation.

Speaking during a tree-planting exercise to mark World Environment Day, Kibachio said the dam was being constructed on Mwache River and faced the threat of siltation.

Construction of the project by Sino Hydro of China is at 30 percent, and the government has mobilised Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) to protect the environment along the river to reduce siltation.

“We recently built a 30-metre wide stretch around the dam for planting trees and protecting the dam against siltation. We are going to plant trees until we fill the whole area,” he said.

Sino Hydro agronomist Mr Nicholas Korir said up to four million tonnes of soil was being washed into the river, and hence the efforts by the government and contractors to reduce the risk of siltation.

He said the contractor and local groups have planted 195,000 fruit, indigenous, and timber trees around the dam in an ongoing campaign to protect it.

“The easiest way of protecting the environment around the dam is tree planting and terracing. We are promoting both mechanical and bioengineering methods to protect the environment,” he stated.

Korir explained that the contractor was teaching the local communities new ways of increasing livelihoods, including modern farming and livestock keeping, to reduce the temptation to destroy trees around the dam.

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Samburu officer Mr Julius Munyalo said they have mobilized schools, churches, and mosques to plant trees in the area.

Munyalo noted that the tree cover in Kwale county is worrying as it stands at 5.53 percent, and hence the push to achieve the countrywide 15 billion tree initiative by 2032.

A community representative, Mr Said Mdzomba, said local landowners were relieved following the recent release of Sh660 million for compensation.

“We are also happy that the contractor recently gave out Sh1 million scholarship to local schoolchildren that went a long way to ease the financial burden to parents,” he said.