Kenya is set to construct seven dams worth $2.4 billion to increase the availability of water in the country. The National Treasury's Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Directorate has announced that it will seek investors to finance, design, construct, and commission these facilities.
The government intends to enter into water-purchase agreements with investors who will sell and deliver water for household and irrigation purposes.
Located in various regions across the East African country, the planned projects include the Sabaki Water Supply Dam, High Grand Falls Dam, Maragua IV Dam, Galana Irrigation Dam, Ndarugu II Wate Dam, Mzima Springs, along with the Karimenu Dam.
The largest of these water projects is the High Grand Falls Dam, to be built on the Tana River in eastern Kenya. With a capacity of 5.6 trillion liters (1.5 trillion gallons), the dam is expected to cost nearly $1.3 billion, according to the PPP report.
Kenya is currently experiencing the worst drought in over four decades, and billions of shillings have been diverted to provide food aid to millions of people. To improve water security and agricultural productivity, Ruto, who took office in September, has pledged to build at least 100 dams.
The East African country's Water Act will be amended to provide a framework for the government to purchase water in bulk from investors for resale to public water companies supplying homes and farms that irrigate fields. The government will bear the demand risk and hydrology, and the water plants will be transferred to the state at the end of the concession period.
According to the Public Private Partnerships Directorate's report, Kenya intends to irrigate 928,779 acres (375,864 hectares) and connect 4.25 million households to clean piped water. However, the report did not provide a timeline for these plans.
Water scarcity is a growing concern in many regions around the world, and Kenya is no exception. The East African country has been grappling with a water shortage that has left millions of people without access to clean and safe water for drinking, cooking, and sanitation.
Kenya's situation is emblematic of the larger water crisis facing the African continent, which is home to some of the world's most water-stressed countries, as the population continues to grow and the effects of climate change become more pronounced.