Major Dyke Construction in West Kano Intensifies to Recover 7,000 Hectares of Land

Residents of West Kano in Kisumu County have faced a difficult reality for years due to perennial flooding that has consistently displaced families and destroyed property.

The situation has severely disrupted livelihoods in the region, with the most recent wave of floods devastating 684 households. In the Kanyagwal area alone, the waters destroyed 450 houses, leaving families vulnerable and homeless.



This area sits at a particularly low altitude along the delta where the River Nyando drains into Lake Victoria, making it geographically prone to both river flooding and back-flow from the lake.

The government is currently implementing the West Kano-Kanyagwal Flood Control Project through the National Water Harvesting & Storage Authority and is situated in the Ogenya Sub-location of Kadibo Sub-county.

This strategic infrastructure development is designed to alter the landscape significantly to manage water flow and protect the local population from future disasters.



The scope of the construction is extensive and is currently reported to be 48 percent complete. The primary engineering feat involves the construction of a massive dyke that stands 1.5 metres high and spans a distance of 3.5 kilometres.

Beyond the dyke, the project includes a Corporate Social Responsibility component, which entails the construction of a footbridge to aid local mobility.

To ensure the structural integrity of the earthworks and promote environmental sustainability, the plan also incorporates grassing and tree planting to stabilize the reclaimed areas.

Upon completion, this infrastructure will reclaim 7,000 hectares of land and facilitate the resettlement of displaced families and safeguard critical public assets such as schools, health centres, roads, markets, and places of worship in severely affected villages.