List of dams and reservoirs in Kenya. A dam is any barrier that holds back water; dams are primarily used to save, manage, and/or prevent the flow of excess water into specific regions. In addition, some dams are used to generate hydropower. This article examines man-made dams but dams can also be created by natural causes like mass wasting events or even animals like the beaver.
Another term often used when discussing dams is reservoir. A reservoir is a man-made lake that is primarily used for storing water. They can also be defined as the specific bodies of water formed by the construction of a dam. For example, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in California’s Yosemite National Park is the body of water created and held back by the O’Shaughnessy Dam.
The following is a partial list of dams in Kenya.
During Kenya’s colonial era, the word “dam” referred to both the structure as well as the reservoir or lake impounded by it.