Afdb Applauds Thwake Dam Progress, Signals Additional €70m Funding
Wote, Makueni, October 15, 2025 — The African Development Bank (AfDB) has expressed strong confidence in the progress of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam and is poised to secure an additional €70 million euros to complete its critical first phase.
The announcement follows a site visit by AfDB officials, who praised the resolution of key social and environmental challenges that had previously delayed financing ahead of the key meeting by the Bank’s Board on November 15, 2025.
Speaking during the tour, AfDB Director General for East Africa, Alex Mubiru, lauded the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation for its diligent oversight.
“The progress here is remarkable,” Mubiru said. “We eagerly anticipate the day when water flows to the people of Kitui and Makueni, connected by a new road bridging these counties.” While accompanied by other bank officials, Mubiru highlighted the AfDB’s long-standing partnership with Kenya, emphasizing the bank’s commitment to delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget despite challenges.
Mubiru underscored the AfDB’s resolve to see the project through, noting Kenya’s status as a key shareholder. “As a bank, we have a duty to finish what we started,” he said. The dam’s completion promises to reshape the socio-economic landscape of Lower Eastern Kenya, offering hope to millions, particularly women and children, who have endured decades of water scarcity.
The move by the Bank is set to accelerate the dam’s completion and unlock its vast potential.
Water Secretary Eng. Samuel Alima revealed that construction has advanced significantly, with concrete face slabbing underway since mid-September.
“We’ve requested additional resources from the AfDB ahead of the November board meeting,” Alima said. “With this funding, we’ll complete critical components, including the concrete face, the Kitui-Makueni link road and bridge, and the installation of hydromechanical equipment and gates, within eight months.”
He added that water impoundment is expected to begin during the October-November 2026 rains, paving the way for discussions on funding the remaining phases, which include irrigation, power generation, and water supply systems.
Thwake Dam – funded by AfDB – is set to be Kenya’s second-largest water reservoir and spans 9,217 acres with a catchment area of 10,276 km² and a storage capacity of 688 million cubic meters. Its first phase, now nearing completion, involves constructing an 80.5-meter-high embankment dam.
Subsequent phases will deliver treated water to 1.3 million residents and Konza Techno City, generate 20 MW of hydropower, and irrigate 40,000 hectares of land, revolutionizing agriculture in a region long plagued by drought and famine.
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