Infrastructure

Cash Crunch Stalls Work on Sh82bn Thwake Dam

The government has so far spent over Sh36 billion on the project.

Updated on

December 5, 2024

Then Water CS Zachariah Njeru (centre) at Thwake Dam on June 18, 2024. (Photo: Courtesy)

Phase one of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam in Ukambani, originally set to open this month, has been delayed due to funding shortages and will now remain without a completion date.

According to media reports, the government has sought additional funding from the African Development Bank for the project, but the bank has declined to commit to the request.

Nancy Ogal, the Task Manager for the Thwake Multipurpose Water Development Programme at AfDB, says talks are ongoing with the contractor, China Gezhouba Group Corporation, and the supervising consultant to address issues delaying the Vision 2030 project.

The request for additional funding comes as phase one of the dam is only 94 per cent complete, falling short of the expected progress since construction began.

“The contractor needs at least Sh3 billion, but the bank can commit Sh1 billion,” she said.

In June, then Water Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru reported that civil works and related activities were 93.6% complete, slightly ahead of the 92.8% timeline.

“The dam is expected to be completed by early December after the construction works commenced on March 27, 2018. The Ministry expects water filling of the dam to take approximately two normal rainy seasons,” Mr Njeru said during a tour of the project.

The CS oversaw the completion of the embankment fill at the meeting point of the Thwake and Athi Rivers, located at the border of Makueni and Kitui counties.

“The filling of the embankment will now pave the way for the settlement of the dam and implementation of the bridge over the embankment, concrete face, installation of the gates and other downstream activities,” he said.

The project, whose contractual completion date was February 6, was expected to be finalized last month after the contractor, China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC), applied for more time to complete phase one of the project.

The contractor cited various technical reasons, including the El Niño rains, for the request for extra time to complete the project.

More than Sh36 billion has been spent on the construction of the dam’s embankment area.

On December 31, 2021, CGGC successfully diverted a section of the Athi River into two giant tunnels to facilitate on-site excavation.

The company said the tunnels – 700 metres long with a diameter of 12 metres – would be used as substitute waterways where Athi River would change course before later joining the original path to the Indian Ocean.

This would allow the construction of a rock field dam wall that would be 87 metres high and the installation of main and minor spillways for excess water flow.

“We have decided to alter the river course flow so that major excavation works can be allowed when the river base is dry,” CGGC general manager Frank Keeh said.

Thwake Dam, which is considered the second-largest in the country after the Masinga Dam on the border of Embu, Kitui, and Machakos counties, is jointly funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Kenya.

It will be implemented in four phases.

688 million cubic metres

Phase one, which is underway, involves the construction of an 87m-high dam wall with a 688 million cubic metres storage capacity, and preliminary works for the implementation of the subsequent three phases.

The second phase of the Thwake Multi-Purpose Dam project will involve the installation of a hydropower generation plant, while phase three comprises the installation of water supply, sanitation, and wastewater infrastructure.

The fourth phase will involve the development of the irrigation component.

The government will invest Sh59.95 billion through budgetary allocations, with AfDB contributing Sh21.94 billion.

Thwake Dam will provide water for domestic, irrigation, hydropower, and industrial activities, mainly serving Makueni County and parts of Kitui County.