The Waseges River (or ''Sandai River'') is a river that rises on the slopes of the
Nyandarua Plateau below the
Aberdare Range in Kenya. The river flows north, then west and south to enter
Lake Bogoria in the
Great Rift Valley from the north after passing through a swamp.
In 2002 rubies were found in the region of the Waseges River.
Climate
In its upper reaches the Waseges flows through regions of intensive coffee cultivation where heavy use is made of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Lower down it flows through bush and scrub used for grazing, and then through very dry bush before entering the lake at its northern end.
The river is seasonal, and is the main affluent of the lake.
The inertial flow of the river may generate counter-clockwise currents in the lake.
Irrigation scheme
The Waseges is an important source of irrigation water. With rising populations, by 1985 the
Tugen people
The Tugen are a sub tribe of the Kalenjin people alongside the Nandi, Kipsigis, Keiyo, Pokot, Marakwet, Sabaot, Ogiek, Lembus and Sengwer sub-tribes. They occupy Baringo County and some parts of Nakuru County and Elgeyo Marakwet County ...
of
Sandai
''Sandai'' () is a 2008 Tamil-language action comedy film directed by Sakthi Chidambaram. The film stars Sundar C, Nadhiya, Namitha and Ramya Raj, while Vivek, Lalu Alex, and Mithun Tejasvi, among others, play supporting roles. The music was c ...
were sometimes refusing to allow their neighbors, the
Camus people
The Ilchamus (sometimes spelled Iltiamus, also known as Njemps), are a Maa-speaking people living south and southeast of Lake Baringo, Kenya. They numbered approximately 32,949 people in 2019 and are closely related to the Samburu living more ...
, to use water from the river.
The Sandai farmers had been in the habit of cultivating two or three out of six cultivated areas each year.
A given area would be farmed for three or four years, then left fallow for up to four years. All the areas are fed by canals from the Waseges, but half the canals will be blocked at any time.
Use of the irrigated farm areas involved agreements between the Tugen and Camus people.
An irrigation scheme carried out by the
Baringo District
Baringo County is one of the 47 counties in Kenya. It is located in the former Rift Valley Province. Its headquarters and largest town is Kabarnet. The county is home to Lake Baringo.
Geographical location
Baringo bounded by Turkana County and ...
Provincial Irrigation Unit (PIU), funded and given technical support by Dutch Aid, aimed to improve usage of the river waters.
The planned irrigation scheme was based on a single large concrete-lined canal feeding just one area.
Scheduled for launch in 1983, there were delays due to protests from the local people, and the project was not completed until the 1987/1988 season. The project introduced a less flexible system, created tensions between the Tugen and Camus people, and tensions among the Tugen.
In 2003 the river was illegally diverted for irrigation upstream in the
Subukia area, causing it to dry up downstream during a period of drought. The Ministry of Water Management and Development proposed to establish river basin catchment committees and water user associations to manage use of the river.
References
Sources
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{{Great Rift Valley, Kenya
Rivers of Kenya