Principal Secretary for the State Department for Irrigation, CPA Ephantus Kimotho Kimani on Wednesday joined Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in high-level talks aimed at fast-tracking the Daua River Dam project, a major regional initiative expected to transform livelihoods in Northern Kenya.
The engagements were held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, and focused on the Daua River Basin, a critical water lifeline for more than three million people in the drought-prone tri-border Mandera Triangle linking Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
The Daua River Basin supports irrigation, livestock production, and community livelihoods in one of the country’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
During the meeting, the Kenyan delegation met Mandera County leaders led by Governor Mohamed Khalif, alongside officials from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the national government to advance plans for the proposed Daua River Dam.
Once completed, the dam is expected to become the second-largest in Kenya, with a projected storage capacity of two billion cubic metres.
The project will cover a 160-kilometre riverine ecosystem spanning approximately 9,000 square kilometres and has the potential to irrigate up to 1.2 million acres of land.
The dam is viewed as a transformative investment for food security in Northern Kenya and a strategic boost to the national economy. It is also expected to strengthen climate resilience and stabilize livelihoods across the region.
Further engagements with Ethiopian government officials are planned on the sidelines of the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa to align cross-border efforts and fast-track the project’s implementation.
The Daua River Dam is being developed under the Daua River Basin Initiative, which aims to enhance regional cooperation, sustainable development, and climate resilience across the Kenya–Ethiopia–Somalia border region.
Also in attendance were Dr. Fatuma Adan, IGAD Head of Mission to the Republic of Kenya, and Mr. Mohamed “Simba” Guleid, Coordinator of the North and Northeast Development Initiative (NEDI).
