Nairobi — The Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) has clarified that the ongoing rains in the country is unlikely to fill the Masinga dam, the main reservoir in the Seven Forks Dam scheme.
KenGen gave the assurance amid concerns from a section of Kenyans about potential risks associated with the current rainfall which they feared could result to the filling of the dam, posing a risk to the residents residing nearby.
KenGen Managing Director and CEO Peter Njenga said Friday that despite the heavy rainfall, the Masinga dam levels are still short of reaching their maximum height of 1,056.50mASL.
"We do not expect Masinga to spill anytime soon as the water levels are ascending very slowly," he said.
He was speaking when he accompanied Energy Cabinet secretary Davis Chirchir on a tour of the Seven Forks Dam where KenGen operates five major dams: Masinga, Kamburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma, and Kiambere.
Njenga said all the five dams produce a combined capacity of 600MW when operating at maximum load.
Further upstream, Njenga pointed out that the electric power generating company operates the Tana Power Station which generates about 26MW at its peak.
Njenga noted the five dams receive water from the Tana River which is the longest river in Kenya estimated at about 1,000 kilometres long.
He added the river receives an estimated annual flow of above 5,000 million cubic meters (MCM) on average, with the Seven Forks Dams holding up to 2,321 million cubic meters at any given time.
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Minimized flooding risk
He noted that the dams hold more than 46 per cent of the inflows thereby minimizing the risk of flooding downstream.
"In other words, we hold close to half the amount of water that would be flowing downstream if the dams were not here," he added.
Njenga emphasized that beyond electricity generation, the dams serve as a crucial mechanism to manage water levels, minimizing the impact of heavy rains on downstream communities.
He noted the Masinga and Kiambere dams are multipurpose dams that are also used for irrigation farming and helping to improve the livelihoods of the people in the region.
While acknowledging increased water inflows, especially in the Kamburu dam, Njenga urged residents in lower areas of the River Tana to exercise caution due to rising water levels.
"As of last night(Thursday), Kamburu dam levels were at 1,005.82 meters above sea level against a maximum capacity of 1,006.50. We have witnessed a big jump this week at Kamburu, and we expect that we will be reaching the maximum levels either over the weekend or early next week should the water inflows remain as they are now," he said.
Njenga also encouraged those living near major rivers and dams to stay vigilant and relocate to higher grounds if necessary, to prevent any potential loss of lives and property.
In light of the ongoing rains, the KenGen CEO revealed that the company is strategically conserving water to prepare for the dry season when water levels tend to drop.
"Today however, we are not operating at maximum capacity as we are continuing to receive inflows, especially at Masinga, and conserving the water to ensure we can use it throughout the year even during low rain seasons and in times of prolonged dry spells," Njenga said.
