Government to boost energy capacity of Gogo Falls

BY STANLEY ONGWAE

Migori, Kenya: The national government has earmarked Gogo Falls, Migori County for a major facelift to increase its hydropower generation capacity.

Environment Principal Secretary James Lopoyetum told the county residents that once completed, the falls would also be tapped for irrigation projects along the catchment area.

“Water storage from the dam along River Kuja will go on to support irrigation in approximated 25,000 hectares of the semi-arid land in the area,” Mr Lopoyetum said.

Already, the Ministry of Water and Environment is consulting with the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (Nelsap) and the National Irrigation Board (NIB) to speed up feasibility studies on the irrigation component, which will improve security on water, food and energy.

The project will be done under Nelsap to boost the site, which Lopoyetum said is underdeveloped. The cost of upgrading the entire project is yet to be known. The exact amount will only be ascertained after feasibility studies.

Besides, the project will also regulate the flow of River Kuja to control flooding and help manage water catchment in an estimated area of 14,300 hectares.

The project will improve the current dam at the fall, which leaders have said is often under-utilised.

“Power generation of an estimated 12 megawatts and firm energy of 20 gigawatts per hour could be achieved as a result of releases from the dam,” said Lopoyetum.

The project will also include improving the existing rural water supply and sanitation infrastructure and construction of a new one to benefit a population of over 1.7 million.