Authority stops drawing of water from Thuchi

Water Resources Management Authority Technical Manager Eng Joseph Kinyua speaks to the press at Thuci Lodge in Embu County yesterday. Wrma advised the management of the Sh700million irrigation project in Runyenjes constituency to reconstruct a water intake and apply for more irrigation water to effectively serve intended farmers. BY JOSEPH MUCHIRI/STANDARD

Embu; Kenya: The Water Resources Management Authority (Wrma) will not authorise tapping of extra volumes of water from River Thuchi for the Sh700 million Kyeni-Kagaari-Gaturi Irrigation Project in Runyenjes Constituency.

The authority said it has taken the bold step to mitigate the risk of drying up the river and advised the project management to reconstruct a water intake and apply for more irrigation water to effectively serve the intended 6,000 farmers.

The authority also defended itself from accusations of refusing to allow water flow to the Kagaari-Kieni-Gaturi irrigation project. Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire had accused the company of conspiring with her political nemesis to deny the irrigation project water.

Reacting to the allegations, Warma National Technical Manager Joseph Kinyua said the authority was only acting on sound technical reasoning.

The project was designed and implemented by the National Irrigation Board to abstract 3,327 cubic metres of water per day from Thuci River but the Runyenjes Project Committee is yet to submit the mandatory certificate of completion to enable the authority provide permit for the pumping of the water.

Mr Kinyua said the design capacity for the irrigation is 19,927 cubic metres a day, which was not feasible as this could completely dry up the river.

Eco-system 

Kinyua told the Press that uncoordinated opening of the entire River Thuchi for irrigation purposes would dry up the residue flow, leading to destruction of the eco-system.

"When the project committee applied to abstract the water, we gave the condition that the irrigation water should be from rain floods," he said.

He said the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) also applied for usage of the water from the same river to produce hydro-electric power, which would then be left to flow downstream.

Kinyua said KTDA was concerned that allowing too much water intake by the project would rob them the water to run their turbines.