The first phase of the Thwake Dam in Kenya is nearing completion. Cabinet Secretary for Water and Sanitation Zacharia Njeru confirmed the report and said the project is on track to be completed by December this year.
During a ceremony celebrating the completion of the embankment section of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam, Njeru, accompanied by PS Julius Korir, expressed satisfaction with the progress. The embankment, completed as scheduled, marks a significant milestone with phase one reaching a 93% completion rate.
The completion of the embankment allows for further construction activities, including the installation of the bridge over the embankment, the concrete face, gates, and other downstream elements. Phase one of the project involves constructing an 80.5-meter concrete face rockfill dam, capable of storing 688 million cubic meters of water, at a cost of Sh36 billion.
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Vision 2030
The subsequent phases will focus on developing water supply, sanitation, and wastewater infrastructure, aimed at providing 150,000 cubic meters of treated water per day to approximately 1.3 million residents of Makueni, Kitui, and Konza Techno City in Machakos Counties. Additionally, the project will include the development of a 20 MW hydropower generation system and an irrigation scheme covering about 100,000 acres of land, contributing to food security.
Thwake Dam is a key project under Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), aiming to address long-term development goals in water, energy, and agriculture. The dam will also help regulate water flow on the Athi River, aiding in flood control and drought mitigation. The project’s contractor is tasked with constructing various infrastructure elements, including spillways, an intake tower, access roads, and hydro-mechanical and electrical plants, as well as a road over the dam connecting Kitui and Makueni counties.