Farmers in Garissa and Tana River counting losses after Kiambere Dam overflow

Floods ravage farms in Garissa and Tana River Counties after Kiambere Dam Overflows (Courtesy)

GARISSA—Farmers located near the bank of River Tana are counting loses as their farms have been marooned by the recently released excess water from Kiambere Dam.

The most affected areas are Windsor and Bula Sheikh in Garissa town and Bakuyu, Ziwani and Mororo in Tana River County.

Farmers Federation vice chair Dubat Amey has blamed KenGen for failing to notify farmers located downstream whom their farms were ravaged by the excess spilling water.

Amey noted that the energy company had made it a habit of releasing water without informing them adding that the only lasting solution was by building a canal where the waters will be directed.

“Year in year out farmers incur huge losses due to the actions of KenGen. For how long will we continue to suffer? Who will come to the rescue of the farmers?” Amey said.

He maintained that for a long term solution to be attained this matter required the intervention of both the National and County governments.

Hundreds of families have also been displaced where houses were marooned overnight as water levels rose to crisis levels.

This is as a result of excess water spillage from the Kindaruma dams.

This follows a notification by Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited on Wednesday of eminent excessive spillage from Kiambere Dam.

According to KenGen, the heavy rains have resulted in a drastic rise of dam levels that has seen Kamburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma and Kiambere dams rise to their spillage levels.

“Consequently, spilling of excess water is now taking place and we are kindly requesting that communities living near the banks of Tana River downstream of Kiambere be alarmed of the impending increase in the river flow,” the statement in part read.

Garissa county commissioner Joshua Chepchieng urged the residents living along the River Tana and flood prone areas to move to safer grounds.

He added the government has already taken the initiative to have all those living along the river banks moved.

Earlier this month farmers in Sankuri and Hadley irrigation schemes in Garissa county counted losses worth millions of shillings after heavy rains flooded their farms and destroyed their crops.