The construction of the US$ 800 million Thwake Multipurpose Dam in Eastern Kenya has delayed by about five per cent due to Covid-19 – Kenya’s Water Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki has said.
The Cabinet Secretary attributed the delay to the layoff of about 400 workers in a move aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19 among the site workers. The work rate at the site declined from 1,200 workers to about 800 workers.
However, the CS said an agreement has been reached with the contractor to reinstate the laid-off workers to hasten progress and to catch up with time lost.
Already, engineers have embarked on major works on site including erecting a mega tunnel to divert Athi river flow for the excavation works on the river bed. The upper part of Athi River basin will be the key catchment area for Thwake Dam despite the upstream of the river facing pollution challenges.
Two tunnels will be erected with tunnel A rising to about 700 meters high when complete. The tunnels will be used as substitute water ways where the river will change course and join original path downstream.
Speaking during a tour of the project, the CS said the state will ensure all the necessary strategies are put in place to make sure the project succeeds.
The project, already at 37 per cent completion, begun in 2017 with the Chinese contractor – China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) winning the construction contract.
Jointly funded by the government of Kenya and the African Development Bank, the project is poised to change the lives of close to 1.3 million rural inhabitants in the 3 Eastern Counties of Makueni, Kitui and Machakos.
READ: Innovative handwashing solution launched to help fight Covid-19 in Africa
The envisioned Konza Techno City in Machakos will be a beneficiary of the project as it will get its water supply from the dam.
“By supplying water and power to the envisioned Konza City, this project will hugely contribute to the smart city’s rise where innovative groups will develop and apply modern technology powered by a thriving and reliable water and power infrastructure,” CS Kariuki said.
Other than water supply to the eastern regions of Kenya, Thwake dam project will also control the perennial floods downstream and irrigate the the Gulalu-Galana irrigation scheme.
Once complete, the dam is expected to create employment to thousands either directly or indirectly as it will spur emergence of small scale industries, boost healthcare and sanitation and ensure food security and irrigation.
Already, the ongoing civil works in phase one and related activities have created jobs for more than 1,200 residents.
The project will undergo four development phases where first phase, currently on course, involves construction of an 80.5m high multi-purpose dam with 688 million cubic metre storage capacity, and associated preliminary works needed to enable implementation of the three other phases.
Phase two will involve construction of hydropower and substation development expected to generate at least 20MW of installed capacity.
The third phase will involve development of a water supply system to treat and distribute up to 150,000 cubic metres of treated water per day and the last stage will see development of irrigation works for up to 100,000 acres in Kitui and Makueni counties.