President Ruto: Completion of Etio Dam a Game Changer for Elgeyo Marakwet Farmers
President William Ruto has announced the successful completion of the first phase of the Etio Dam rehabilitation and expansion project in Kapteren, Keiyo North Constituency — a major step in the government’s commitment to boost irrigation and agricultural productivity across the country.
Speaking during the commissioning of the project, President Ruto described the dam as a transformative investment that will uplift thousands of families in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
“A year ago, we broke ground on the rehabilitation and expansion of the Etio Dam. Today, I am proud to report that the project has been completed on time and is ready to serve the people of this region,” the President said.
The Etio Dam Phase I Project now boasts a storage capacity of 160 million litres of water, which will support irrigation across more than 2,500 acres of farmland.
“This means over 8,000 households will directly benefit from improved access to water for irrigation, enabling them to diversify and intensify agricultural production,” the President noted.
Farmers in the region are expected to focus on high-value crops such as passion fruits, avocados, cabbages, kales, and potatoes, aligning with the government’s plan to shift agriculture from subsistence to commercial farming.
“This project will not only boost food security, but will also create employment and increase household incomes — key pillars of our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” Ruto added.
He reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to prioritize water and irrigation projects across arid and semi-arid counties, saying that sustainable agriculture is the backbone of economic development and rural transformation.
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