Ministry of Water orders immediate pipeline works at Kaptarakwa Dam

The Principal Secretary for Water and Sanitation, Julius Korir, has directed contractors at the Kaptarakwa Dam project in Elgeyo Marakwet County to immediately begin laying a new one-kilometre pipeline. The directive aims to provide an interim water supply to existing storage tanks while broader construction works on the dam and its distribution network continue.

During an inspection of the site in Mokwo, Kaptarakwa Ward, the PS was joined by local Member of Parliament Gideon Kimaiyo and officials from the local administration. The visit served as a formal assessment of the current progress of the dam, which is a critical piece of infrastructure for the semi-arid reaches of the county. The site inspection allowed the Ministry to gauge the pace of civil works and the technical status of the associated water distribution infrastructure.

A consultative meeting held with residents during the tour brought several technical and logistical gaps to light. Community representatives requested that the project scope be expanded to include additional water tanks to serve a wider radius, specifically covering the areas between Kaptarakwa Centre, Sing’ore, and Kaptilol. The residents also highlighted the need for an additional 20 kilometres of reticulation pipelines to ensure that the water harvested by the dam reaches household clusters that are currently outside the primary distribution zone.

Beyond domestic consumption, the community raised the requirement for livestock-specific infrastructure. Requests were made for the construction of a cattle trough and a dedicated water point near the dam site to prevent livestock from interfering with the main reservoir and to streamline agricultural use.

In response to these concerns, Korir committed to holding a follow-up meeting with the area MP to review and clarify the existing contract scope. This meeting is expected to determine how the additional 20 kilometres of piping and storage facilities can be integrated into the current development plan. The PS noted that the government is seeking to ensure the project does not just exist as a storage entity but as a functional network for the community.

The thorny issue of land compensation also featured prominently during the discussions. Residents sought assurances regarding the settlement of claims for land used during the construction of the dam and its buffer zones. The PS stated that the Ministry of Water and Sanitation will coordinate with the Elgeyo Marakwet County Government to trigger the formal valuation and compensation process through the National Land Commission.

This inspection comes at a time when the Ministry is under pressure to complete stalled and ongoing water projects across the North Rift region. The Kaptarakwa Dam is part of a larger strategy to improve water security in Elgeyo Marakwet, a region that often struggles with distribution to its lower-lying wards. The immediate intervention of the one-kilometre pipeline is intended to alleviate water stress for residents while the legal and technical expansions of the project are finalized.