Thwake Dam to be complete by April 2027; Ruto says
Thwake Dam to be complete by April 2027; Ruto says
President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and the contractor handling the Thwake Dam project to ensure the over Ksh82 billion infrastructure is completed by April 2027, after the project missed its initial completion target.
Speaking during a church service at St. Martin’s Cathedral in Kitui on Sunday, July 12, the Head of State said the government had approved Ksh10.6 billion to complete the long-delayed project, following funding challenges that stalled construction.
According to the president, the dam was to be completed by December 2026, but was delayed by funding gaps, forcing him to advance the completion timeline.
“I have directed the ministry and the contractor that by April 2027, because it was supposed to be complete by December 2026, by April, I want us to come and commission that dam,” Ruto stated.
According to Ruto, the funding, which he noted was approved last month, would allow the government to complete what he described as the largest dam ever built in Kenya.
“We built Thwake Dam but it encountered a few challenges after the money ran out. But now we have secured the funds. We have received Ksh10.6 billion which was approved last month to complete Thwake,” he added.
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Completing the dam, the president noted, would unlock key economic benefits for residents of Kitui and neighbouring counties by providing clean water, supporting livestock farming and expanding irrigation.
“By April we want to commission that dam so that you can have water to drink, water for your livestock and carry out irrigation,” the head of State said.
The latest directive effectively pushes the completion timeline by four months from the initial December 2026 target, following delays linked to funding constraints.
The contractor now has over nine months to complete the project, which is currently 90 per cent complete in the first phase.
The dam, which spans Kitui and Makueni counties, is one of Kenya’s flagship water infrastructure projects and is expected to improve water supply, boost irrigation and support industrial development once completed.
The project began in 2018 but faced delays due to financial challenges. However, the government recently received a Ksh 10.6 billion boost, including a Ksh 9.6 billion (€64.20 million) loan from the African Development Bank and Ksh 630.8 million (€4.2 million) from the African Development Fund.
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