- The KSh. 82 billion project, positioned at the Thwake and Athi rivers intersection, has encountered numerous delays since its launch in March 2018.
- Initially set for 2022 completion, the deadline has been postponed multiple times.
- CS Mugaa attributed the latest delay to global supply chain disruptions, affecting access to crucial rock-blasting explosives.
- The main contractor, China Gezhouba Group Company, sought an extension, shifting the completion date to December 2024.
- Once finished, the dam will offer water supply, hydropower, and irrigation, benefiting Kitui and Makueni residents.
The KSh. 82 billion Thwake Dam project, located at the Kitui-Makueni border, where the Thwake and Athi rivers meet, has faced a series of setbacks since construction started in March 2018. Originally expected to be completed by 2022, the project has experienced multiple extensions.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, CS Mugaa was pressed by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo to clarify the ongoing delays. The minister pointed to disruptions in global supply chains, especially affecting the availability of explosives required to break through the rock foundation of the dam.
“We encountered challenges in sourcing the necessary explosives for rock blasting, which significantly slowed progress. The issue is tied to the global market,” CS Mugaa explained to senators, who were visibly frustrated by the response.
In January 2023, the government granted a fourth deadline extension after the main contractor, China Gezhouba Group Company, requested more time, pushing the completion date to December 2024.
The project, largely financed by the African Development Bank, had already consumed over KSh. 22 billion by then. By June last year, then-Water CS Zachariah Njeru confirmed that the construction of the embankment alone had surpassed KSh. 36 billion.
Once operational, Thwake Dam will play a crucial role in providing water, hydroelectric power, and irrigation, benefiting thousands of residents in Kitui and Makueni counties.
