President Uhuru Kenyatta formally opened the Karimenu II Dam Water Supply Project.
More than 1.1 million people in Gatundu, Ruiru, Juja, and parts of Nairobi are expected to benefit from the project by receiving a clean water supply.
55 km of water transmission pipelines, a 59 m high dam across the Karimenu River, two water storage tanks in Ruiru and Juja, and a water treatment plant with a daily capacity of 73 million litres make up this system.
Work on the project started in May 2019 and was largely finished by May 2022.
The reservoir is currently 42 per cent full, or 11 billion litres of water, and is anticipated to be fully filled by November 2022, when the rainy season will be in full swing.
Through a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing the locals’ quality of life and educational opportunities, the host community has also benefited from the project.
In Karimenu, a brand-new school with 22 classrooms and related facilities and room for more than 800 students has already been built.
Other community-focused initiatives include the construction of a 90 km water distribution network to supply water to the area around the Karimenu II Dam in Kariua, Kanyoni, and Gituamba, as well as the bituminous resurfacing of the Kanyoni to Kiriko Church Road.
