Construction of Umma Dam project in Kitui County, Kenya is set to be revived after over 10 years of stalling. National Water and Harvesting Authority Umaa Dam Project Engineer Apphia Kaluku confirmed the report and said that the project requires a total of US $9m to be completed.
It is estimated that the 28m high dam which stalled in 2011 will store 870,000m3 of water and inject an additional 2.3 million litres of clean and treated water to Kitui town which will serve about 75,000 people.
According to a report tabled before the County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (CDICC), the overall completion of the dam construction works is estimated at 68%. The Government has allocated US $1million to a geotechnical consultant to investigate the soundness of the dam.
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Umma Dam project
Construction of the dam began in 2008 and was to be completed by 2010. A few months into the construction works, the project stalled, sinking with it Sh 575 million which was paid to the contractor Draft and Develop Engineers Ltd. Eng Kaluku said that on the second year of the project, contractual dispute on redefinition of scope of works arose stalling the works.
“The review of rates on specific items which were not well defined and grouting which was highly varied due to unforeseen physical ground condition and unapproved request of extension of time led to suspension of works in 2010. The former contractor has been discharged and the Authority will procure a new contractor.
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