Moroto District – Karimojong and Kenyan Turkana pastoralists in Moroto district are currently gripped with panic over the possible death of their livestock following the drying up of the giant Kobebe Dam.
Kobebe Water Dam, located about 50km from Moroto town in Moroto district, was constructed by the Ministry of Water in 2010 at a cost of 6.7 billion shillings.
The dam’s construction was spearheaded by the First Lady, then Minister in charge of Karamoja Affairs, Ms. Janet Museveni, and supervised by the Ministry of Water and Environment engineers.
The purpose of the dam was to address the water shortage facing the pastoralist community and to improve food production through irrigation. Although the irrigation component was not completed due to unclear circumstances, the dam has been providing water for livestock.
Apparently, the water level in the dam has drastically dropped, with it now being full of grass and mud, which requires desilting. This has created fears among the pastoralists, who are concerned that their animals will die if the current drought persists and the dam dries up completely.
A visit by our reporter on Sunday, 19th January 2025, to the dam revealed that it, which was expected to store 2.3 billion liters of water and serve many animals daily, now holds an estimated less than 600,000 liters of water after months of severe drought that has hit the Karamoja sub-region hard.
It should be noted that the dam, which measures about 1.5 by 1.0 kilometers, had been serving over 150,000 heads of cattle, goats, sheep, camels, and donkeys from both the Karimojong and the Turkana, who also crossed into the area to graze their animals due to the persistent drought in Kenya.
John Robert Akiki, the LC3 Chairperson for Lotisan Sub-county, said that Kobebe Dam needs special attention from the government since it is a crucial resource for the two neighboring pastoralist communities.
“This dam needs to have all the accumulated mud and grass removed that have covered it. Even the inlet side of the dam is blocked and requires machinery,” he said.
A high-profile source from the Ministry of Water told this publication that the ministry allocated an unspecified amount and sent a team of engineers to repair all the problems surrounding the dam, including leaks, but it is unclear whether work has been completed.
Mariko Losia, another pastoralist, said the situation has been worsened by people entering the dam to take fish, which are also dying due to the lack of sufficient water.
“UWA staff and UPDF soldiers are also fighting for the same fish, district officials are fighting for the same fish, and sub-county officials are fighting for the same fish, which has contributed to the rapid drying of the dam,” he said.
David Koryang, the District Chairperson of Moroto, called for affirmative action on Kobebe Dam.
Peter Longole, another pastoralist, said they will drive their animals to Teso region by any means necessary should the dam dry up completely.
Up to Date News. Keep it Up