CS Mugaa pushes for faster Tana dam works ahead of rains

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation CS Eric Mugaa has directed contractors working on dams in Tana River county to speed up construction and complete the projects before the onset of El Niño rains.

He said heavy rains could disrupt construction and undermine efforts to harvest water for use during dry periods.

Mugaa spoke during the launch of the extension of the Konkona-Sheli village water supply project and the construction of the Minjila Dam in Garsen constituency, Tana River county.

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The CS said the government had invested hundreds of millions of shillings in water projects in the county as part of efforts to increase water harvesting.

He said the county’s flooding patterns and loose soils made it necessary for contractors to deploy more resources and complete the projects before the rains.

“We are running out of time and the soil here is very loose. It is important that we fast-track this kind of work and complete the project," Mugaa said.

"We need the contractors to put more people on the job, more resources on the works and work within the weather timeline. El Niño cannot find us unawares or unprepared.”

He said the government was constructing two dams in Garsen, one in Minjila and another in Shifa, at a cost of Sh50 million each.

The projects are part of the government’s wider water-harvesting programme.

“We are aware El Niño is coming and so we are requesting the contractors working on these projects to speed up the works before the rains start,” Mugaa said.

As part of preparations for the rains, the CS said the government had awarded contracts worth Sh100 million for the construction of dikes to protect communities from flooding.

“The areas that actually flood are the lower Tana River, Garissa, Wajir; the mature stages of the river are where flooding actually happens," he said.

"Here in Tana River, in preparation for El Niño, we are constructing dikes for Sh100 million to safeguard the villages and the residents from floods.”

Garsen MP Ali Wario backed the CS’s call for faster completion of the dams, saying the projects would help communities break the cycle of floods and drought by ensuring water is harvested during the rainy season.

He urged contractors to mobilise more equipment, saying funds were available to complete the projects.

“We want all these dams where construction is ongoing to be completed before El Niño kicks off so we harvest that water," Wario said.

"We are asking the contractors to mobilise more equipment at once so we beat the deadline before the rains because the money is already there.”

“We cannot blame President William Ruto’s administration because there is money and we do not want delays which can make us miss harvesting water this rainy season,” he added.

Judith Mwamburi, a director at the Coast Water Works Development Agency, which is implementing the projects, said engineers were on the ground to ensure the works remained on schedule.

“We have more than 10 projects ongoing in Tana River county. As the Coast Water Development Agency, we are between the government and the citizens, and that is why all our engineers are on the ground following up to make sure that the projects are completed on time,” she said.

Instant analysis

The rush to complete Tana River’s dams before the El Niño rains highlights the tension between water harvesting and flood preparedness in a county repeatedly affected by both extremes. The Sh100 million dike programme offers additional protection, but the immediate challenge is execution. Delays could mean losing an opportunity to capture rainwater while leaving vulnerable communities exposed to flooding, underscoring the importance of completing projects before the weather window closes.