Kapling dam: Blessing to Kembu locals in Bomet County

Kapling Dam is a man-made feature located approximately one kilometre before Panda shopping centre and off Kembu-Merigi murram road.

The dam was once a quarry and came into existence in 2001 when murram used for construction of Tegat-Chemengwa-Merigi road was excavated.

The dam covers a patchy quarter of an acre of land owned by the family of the late Lingaber Arap Tuimising alias Ling and that is how the dam got its name - Kapling.

The waters of the dam are rain fed and their levels do not plummet much owing to elevation and the tardy draining soil, and also because the rate of evaporation is low.

Today, the dam is a blessing in disguise but a few years back it was considered a killer dam.

According to Richard Kibet Kosgei, a resident of the area and whose land borders the dam, three people have drowned in the dam and in another incident, a middle age man was suspected to have been killed elsewhere and his body dumped in the dam.

"These mishaps necessitated the community and religious leaders to hold prayers at the dam banks. Since seeking divine intervention, we have not had anymore such incidents," Richard Kosgei said.

The dam now has some aquatic life and once in a while, one can spot various birds including marabou storks which nestle on the nearby trees.

The dam has also changed the residents' dietary choice. Originally, they main diet was ugali and sour milk called mursik but they have now been converted into fish-eaters.

The dam also provides water for washing, construction and watering livestock. Although the dam is located in private land, the Tuimising has granted residents free access to it so long as they do not pollute the waters.

The dam now serves about 9,000 households and is a favourite picnic site for residents.

While it may have had a dark history, Kapling Dam is today a blessing to the neighbouring community.