Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa has attributed the continued delay in the completion of the Thwake Multi-Purpose Dam to disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Ksh.82 billion project, located at the confluence of the Thwake and Athi rivers on the Kitui-Makueni border, has faced multiple setbacks since construction began in March 2018. Initially scheduled for completion in 2022, the project’s deadline has been pushed back several times.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, CS Mugaa was asked by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo to explain the persistent delays. The minister cited global supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict, particularly affecting the availability of explosives needed to blast the rock foundation of the dam.
“Our access to explosives required to blast the foundations of the rock bed was not easily accessible. It slowed the progress of the work. It’s a global market,” Mugaa told senators, who expressed frustration over the explanation.
In January 2023, the government extended the dam’s completion date for the fourth time after the main contractor, China Gezhouba Group Company, requested more time, shifting the deadline to December 2024.
The project, primarily funded by the African Development Bank, had already consumed over Ksh.22 billion by that time. By June last year, then-Water CS Zachariah Njeru confirmed that over Ksh.36 billion had been spent on constructing the embankment.
Once completed, Thwake Dam will provide water supply, hydropower generation, and irrigation, benefiting thousands of residents in Kitui and Makueni counties.
