Association of Consulting Engineers of Kenya, ACEK has formed a task force to inspect and establish whether all dam regulatory requirements were met during construction in the country. The action followed the loss of 47 lives after the collapse of Patel Dam in Nakuru County on May 10 due to heavy rains leaving hundreds of people homeless.
“There was clear evidence the earth wall of the dam had started failing much earlier yet no attempt was made to rectify the situation,” said Eng Charles Akinyele Akindayomi.
The Water and Sanitation ministry, which gazetted the task force, said it will assess operations and regulations on the safety and general status of dams in the country.
The association will work in hand with Samuel Alimia from Ministry of Water and Sanitation who will chair the team, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Boniface Water Resources Authority and Kenya Metrological Department team to review policies as well as legal and regulatory frameworks for planning, design, construction, operation and decommissioning of dams.
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Interim Report
According to Michael Wainaina,ACEK’s team representative, the task force will be in place for 60 days and will give its interim report in 30 days. Members will document the operational conditions of Kenya’s dams and look into procedures and conditions of issuance of permits and licenses to determine adequacy, fairness and appropriateness
The task force will also look at the effectiveness of monitoring and surveillance mechanisms, and the procedure of registration of consultant and panel experts.The Secretariat will be based at Maji House, Nairobi, and all communication will be addressed to the chairperson.
