Kenya’s government has provided crucial insight on the $634 million Thwake Dam as it notes the project is nearing completion. The achievement is monumental as the project has faced major setbacks in the past, having been postponed five times. The remarks on the dam’s completion were noted by Interior Principal secretary Raymond Omollo. Once completed, Omollo is hopeful that the multipurpose dam will be useful to millions of Kenyans in Makueni and Kitui. The dam had been subject to much controversy after the government repeatedly postponed the project’s completion, citing financial constraints.
Speaking during a site visit in October 2024, Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa announced that the project would be done by mid-2025. Mugaa noted that the embankment phase, an elemental part of the project, would take six months to complete. After the completion of the phase, this would pave way for the project’s final conclusion. The visit came after work at Thwake had been halted for two months, with contractors citing a lack of funds to finish it. However, the Water Cabinet Secretary explained that the government was in constant communication with the African Development Bank.
The Challenges Faced by the Multi-Million-Dollar Thwake Dam Project
In October 2023, the then CS, Zachary Njeru, inspected the Thwake dam project and promised residents that it was 84.4% complete. Moreover, he noted that it would be finished in December of that year. However, the government has since changed its tune yet again as it pushed Thwake dam’s completion date. At the time, the project had consumed over ksh22 billion, funded by the African Development Bank. The funds accounted for close to 90% of the finances required to complete the first phase of the project. Controversy also dogged the project’s main contractor, China Gezuba Group Company. The company had been forced to halt operations several times owing to cash flow problems. There were incidents where workers downed their tools due to non-payment, while theft of equipment at the site further hampered progress.
Insight about the Multipurpose Dam
Thwake dam is a multipurpose infrastructure project that aims to enhance water security and boost agricultural productivity. Moreover, it will generate clean energy for the region. Once fully done, it is expected to provide safe drinking water and support the irrigation of over 40,000 hectares of farmland. Moreover, it will deliver 20MW hydropower to the residents, providing electrical security in the region. The dam has a reservoir storage capacity of 688 million cubic meters, making it Kenya’s second-largest dam after Masinga. It is a rock-fill structure with an impervious concrete face, standing approximately 80.5 meters tall.
