For decades, the residents of Mbeere South have lived in agony. While they sit in the shadow of the massive Seven Forks hydroelectric dams, they have had no supply of water and their fields remain dry.
However, the tide is finally turning as the Kamburu Water Supply Project nears reality, moving from a political promise to pipes in the ground.
The project, part of President William Ruto’s government’s drought mitigation strategy, aims to tap into the Kamburu Dam reservoir to provide a reliable bulk water supply to one of Kenya’s most water-stressed regions.
Kamburu Dam Water Project Poised to Transform Mbeere South Into Food-Secure Region
The project launched in 2025 once complete, will benefit residents and boost food production through irrigation with Ruto noting, “Rain-fed farming can no longer sustain our growing population; we must expand irrigation to modernize our agriculture.”
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For locals like Justa Wanja, the sight of ongoing construction is a welcome relief after years of unfulfilled political campaign pledges.
“For years we have been choosing leaders, crying for water, and dealing with ‘water politics’ that leave us thirsty once the elections are over,” Justa said. “But during this administration, there are signs. We have seen the trenches being dug; we have seen the pipes being laid.”
Projections show the new water supply will secure the region’s economy by providing low cost irrigation for miraa and horticultural crops, protecting them from frequent drought cycles.
“We are happy with the progress because the mangoes we grow will be healthier and we shall take them for juicing and even miraa will no longer be affected,” says Simon Ndaba. “With water, we have the power to process our own goods and keep the profits within our community.”
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Kamburu project is seen as a potential turning point for Mbeere South residents, transforming a region historically defined by water scarcity into one with greater agricultural productivity and food self-sufficiency.
For families long burdened by drought cycles, the promise of steady water flow represents more than infrastructure. It signals the possibility of stable harvests, improved nutrition, and renewed economic hope.
To residents of Embu County, Kamburu Dam is more than just a power station; it is a vital neighbour.
As the water project nears completion this year, the dam’s legacy is shifting from merely lighting up their homes to finally quenching the thirst of the land that hosts it.
