Kapteren: For many years, Mrs. Leah Kiptarus from Kapteren village, Keiyo North sub-county, was embroiled in the chaos of brewing chang’aa to support her family. The illegal trade led to frequent conflicts with the law and constant financial strain due to fines. However, her life took a transformative turn with the rehabilitation of the Etio dam by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA).
According to Kenya News Agency, Mrs. Kiptarus seized the opportunity presented by the dam’s construction to improve her livelihood by cooking for the workers, earning Sh.19,000 weekly. The income helped fund her child’s education at the Kenya Medical Training College. After the dam’s completion, she expanded her ventures to farming traditional vegetables, using irrigation from the dam to sustain her crops during dry seasons, generating Sh.5,000 weekly from managu sales.
Edwin Tarus, a Masinde Muliro University graduate, also benefits from the dam. He cultivates cabbages, kales, and managu, earning between Sh25,000-Sh30,000 monthly. Tarus advocates for youth to explore farming as a viable career, given its rewarding returns and independence from traditional employment constraints.
For 24-year-old Justus Kiplimo, the dam facilitated a shift from a competitive bodaboda business to passion fruit farming. Harvesting up to 50 kilograms weekly and selling them at Sh70 per kilogram, he plans to expand his operations using dam water, anticipating increased profits.
Idi Mubarak Kipchirchir, an avocado farmer, highlights the dam as a game changer. Previously reliant on streams for water, he now leverages solar-powered irrigation for his 170 avocado trees and various crops, significantly enhancing his agroforestry practices.
KVDA Managing Director Sammy Naporos expressed satisfaction with the farmers’ rapid adoption of irrigation from the Sh80 million dam, projecting potential earnings of Sh200,000 per acre per season. The dam serves 4,500 households, irrigates 6,000 hectares, and provides domestic water to Kapteren and Simotwo villages.
Naporos announced plans for a Sh150 million second phase, including desilting the dam and constructing mega tanks to expand water supply. KVDA will also distribute 30,000 avocado seedlings and train farmers in fish farming as part of its initiative to promote diversified agricultural activities.
By desilting the Yokot dam and implementing these measures, KVDA aims to ensure water sufficiency and bolster food security, aligning with the government’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (Beta).