This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
Heavy rains in the Tana River delta region have caused the river banks to burst, resulting in flooding and displacement of locals in the Garissa Region.
Local leaders from Garissa County have accused Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) of being responsible for the mess, claiming that the company opened its Seven Forks Spillways into the River Tana.
However, KenGen has refuted these claims, stating that it did not open the dams or release water from them. In a statement, the company's Eastern Regional Manager, Julius Odumbe, said that the dams were yet to be filled to capacity despite the heavy downpour.
Odumbe also explained that Masinga dam had nine meters remaining before it was full to capacity, and that the company always alerts people downstream before opening up the dams.
KenGen's Managing Director, Rebecca Miano, reassured the public that the company would continue monitoring water levels in its dams across the country during the ongoing heavy rains season.
On November 8, 2019, KenGen tweeted that it would continue monitoring water levels in its hydropower generating dams countrywide to ensure prudent management of dams during the heavy rains season.
