The Turkwell Gorge Hydro Electric Dam Project was commissioned in 1986 and completed by the French company Spie Batignolles in 1991. An alert from the meteorological department stated; “At 1148.03 metres above sea level this morning (Monday) Turkwel dam is currently 92.33 percent full. It has never filled up to its full supply level at 1150 meters above the sea level, since its construction from 1986 to 1991. In the next reshuffle not long after, Biwott’s chosen “mule”, George Saitoti – he was neither horse nor donkey – was appointed minister for Finance and Economic Planning. A supporter status is available to industry players who have a key role in delivering sustainable infrastructure. The dam on River Turkwel, near the border of West Pokot and Turkana counties, has not experienced such rising water levels since it was constructed almost three decades ago. I will come back to the contents of the report Kenyans weren’t allowed to read. You have the vice presidency, the Finance ministry, and the ministerial dockets with the biggest budgets. Curvy, sexy Ugandan women named new tourist attraction, [PHOTOS] Motorist left in shock as Mercedes abruptly catches fire on Thika Superhighway, Mystery Dutch Woman emerges in Tecra Muigai’s death probe. #NTVatOne The mission was almost accomplished. In January 1986 – five years after Biwott’s chat with Waiyaki up in the skies, he was airborne to the French capital accompanied by Saitoti to sign in on the Turkwel project. An estimated 30,000 households in Turkana County risk a humanitarian crisis as authorities warn of looming floods due to an expected spill over at the Turkwel hydro-power dam. An old photo of Turkwel Dam. The potential flooding could affect over 300,000 people in an area accustomed to droughts. With Covid-19 hogging the attention, few took note of a story tucked inside the. Tullow Oil has kicked off meetings in West Pokot County to end stalemate concerning the use of Turkwel dam water for oil extraction in Lokichar, Turkana County. “It has a capacity of 1.6 billion m3 covering an area of 6,500 hectares and Kenya’s highest dam at 150 meters. Engineers say at its inflated cost and distant location (the now worn out high voltage cables run over 120 miles to connect to the national grid), Turkwel is the most expensive power-generating plant in the country and the region! Waiyaki, as he was to tell me years later, told Biwott he had no objection to the proposition, but quickly reminded him that Nandi, Kericho and Uasin Gishu districts were as developed as central Kenya, to which Biwott quickly replied: “True, the Nandi and the Kipsigis are the Kikuyu of Kalenjin-land. The project was to depend on waters from the now extinct Ferguson’s Bay on Lake Turkana. On receiving the experts’ report, the Ministry of Finance relegated Biwott’s proposal where it belonged – in the dustbin. In addition, the dam’s water has passed its highest level ever reached. After all, who are Norwegians to tell us what not to do in our country?”. With the current rainfall being experienced and projected near normal rainfall in the catchment area around Mt Elgon during this October to December season, the dam is expected to fill up and overflow in November 2020.” An estimated 300,000 people live in the Turkwel River basin. Brazil's presidential election frontrunneR Stabbed. The governor also warned of a potential spill over of the Turkwel dam at that time after ongoing rains in Mt. But a bigger blunder was lack of understanding of the terrain, and specifically that part of Lake Turkana disappears every 30 to 50 years. "Turkwel Dam level on 9/9/2020 at 6AM is at 1146.39 metres above sea level. Tag: Turkwel Dam. Turkwel dam is on the verge of spilling as water levels continue to rise due to ongoing rains, State agencies have warned. The study advised against construction of a dam on the Turkwel River, the main reason being that the chosen site “lies on a major earthquake fault-line and would silt up in less than 50 years (that is nine years from now).”, The study said, if constructed, the dam would have “a deleterious effect on alluvium brought down by floods… and the lush vegetation of the riverine forest, to radically change the flow of Turkwel River through silting…”. But Kenyan officials nevertheless chose the far more expensive model of financing”. It has never filled up to its full supply level at 1,150 meters above the sea level, since its construction from 1986 to 1991. SOUND WARNING AFTER TWO DAMS BECAME FULL, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6rU_BqShyY. And rainfall continues in Mount Elgon, where the dam gets its water. Turkwel Dam is expected to fill and spill for the first time. “Turkwel Dam is expected to fill and spill for the first time. County News. Barclays Bank of Kenya has launched a new mobile loans service dubbed Timiza, increasing the competition in the lucrative micro lending segm... One person died and seven others, including a police officer, were injured during a violent confrontation between traders in Narok Town... Kenya could attract major US pension and asset funds with assets of over Sh100 trillion with yesterday’s commitment by the federal governm... Frida Shibonje (left) - joined by her daughter Christine - trips down memory lane at her Ikonyero home in Kakamega County on September 15... KenGen has unveiled an elaborate renewable energy project pipeline focused on supporting the government’s economic growth agenda. The Norwegians were overambitious to think they could freeze fish in very high temperatures using diesel-powered engines and still make a profit! Over lunch with Waiyaki at Serena Hotel, he ventilated: “Kibaki must be the most ungrateful person alive,” Biwott said, adding ruefully: “I wish he knew how many people are secretly fighting him, and how the President has stood with him. Understanding rainfall variability can provide lessons for managing dams in drylands to improve water security for energy, agriculture, environmental and human needs. Allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement were made prior the projects completion and in 1991 a Consultative Group meeting of donors to Kenya imposed a full aid embargo on the country largely because of allegations surrounding Turkwell Dam. Recent news stories predict that the Turkwel Gorge Dam in northwest Kenya will overflow in November 2020. The dam covers 60 kilometres and has 1.2 billion litres of water. × Digital News Videos Kenya @ 50 Health & Science Lifestyle Opinion Education Columnists Ureport Arts & Culture Moi Cabinets Fact Check The Standard Insider Podcasts E-Paper Lifestyle & Entertainment Nairobian Entertainment Eve Woman Travelog TV Stations KTN Home KTN News BTV KTN Farmers TV Radio Stations Radio Maisha Spice FM Vybez Radio Enterprise VAS E-Learning Digger Classified … The dams in question are Masinga and Turkwel with the former having already exceeded its reservoir capacity to 1057.86 against its normal 1056.5 above the sea level. Chief Ex... Brazil's right-wing presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro has undergone emergency surgery after he was stabbed in the stomach during... By DAILY MONITOR More by this Author KAMPALA The Ugandan Ministry of Tourism has added curvy and sexy women to the list of tourism ... 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