Kenyans to Finally Benefit From Ksh82 Billion Thwake Dam Project After Years of Delays
The much-delayed Thwake Dam project, which has faced five postponements since it began, is finally approaching completion.
According to Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, the project—built at a staggering cost of Ksh82 billion—will soon start transforming the lives of millions of Kenyans living in Makueni and Kitui counties.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 4, Omollo assured residents that the government was determined to deliver the dam, which has long been seen as a game-changing development for the region.
Years of Delays and Broken Promises
Since its launch, Thwake Dam has been surrounded by controversies and repeated delays. The government had cited financial challenges multiple times as the main reason for halting progress.
During a site inspection in October 2024, Water Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eric Mugaa, who became the fifth minister to oversee the project, gave a fresh assurance that the dam would be completed by mid-2025.
At the time, Mugaa pointed out that the embankment phase—a crucial stage of the project—would take about six months to complete. This phase was expected to mark the final push toward completion.
Mugaa’s visit came shortly after work at the dam stalled for two months. Contractors had downed tools, citing insufficient funds to continue.
The CS emphasized that the government was working closely with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the main financier of the project, to speed up the release of funds to ensure construction stayed on track.
Thwake Dam’s History of Challenges
This is not the first time Kenyans have been promised completion of the project. In October 2023, then Water CS Zachary Njeru—who became the fourth minister to visit the site—told locals that the project was already 84.4 percent complete and would be ready by December 2023. That promise, like those before it, failed to materialize.
By then, more than Ksh22 billion had already been spent on the first phase, with the African Development Bank providing close to 90 percent of the funding required for that stage. Still, despite the massive expenditure, much of the critical work remained undone.
The project’s main contractor, China Gezuba Group Company, has also been embroiled in controversy. Work on the dam has been disrupted several times due to cash flow problems, and in some cases, workers staged strikes over delayed salaries.
Theft of equipment at the construction site further slowed progress, fueling frustrations among residents who have waited years for the benefits of the dam.
What Thwake Dam Means for Kenya
Despite the setbacks, Thwake Dam remains one of Kenya’s most ambitious multipurpose infrastructure projects. Once completed, it will play a vital role in improving water security, supporting agriculture, and generating renewable energy in the region.
The dam is designed to supply clean drinking water to households, irrigate over 40,000 hectares of farmland, and produce 20 megawatts of hydroelectric power. This will not only support food production but also contribute to the country’s energy needs and reduce reliance on rain-fed farming.
With a massive reservoir capacity of 688 million cubic meters, Thwake will be Kenya’s second-largest dam after Masinga. It is being constructed as a rock-fill dam with an impervious concrete face, standing about 80.5 meters tall—making it a landmark structure in the country’s push for sustainable development.
For residents of Makueni, Kitui, and the wider region, the project represents hope after years of waiting. If the government delivers on its latest promise,
Thwake Dam could finally transform the livelihoods of millions by boosting food production, ensuring clean water access, and creating new opportunities for development.
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