State to commission first phase of Thwake Multipurpose Dam in December, Water PS Korir promises during inspection tour

The Principal Secretary, State Department for Water and Sanitation Julius Korir, has revealed that official commissioning of the first phase of Thwake Multipurpose Dam will be conducted in December this year

Speaking recently during a site inspection and appraisal tour on  implementation of the dam’s civil works and other related activities, the PS noted that he was happy with the progress adding that H.E President William Ruto is expected to commission the multi-billion water reservoir by end of this year.

“As a Ministry, we gave a commitment to the Head of State that the Embankment section of the dam will be completed by May.  So far I am extremely happy that we are even ahead of schedule because the section will be completed in the next few days,” he noted of the facility, which has so far recorded a progress rate of 92 per cent.

It was also noted that the dam’s critical paths have progressed well with the embankment expected to be completed in the next 20 days before the Contractor allows it to settle and start working on the bridge and the electromechanical area.

The PS further assured the contractor of his commitment in ensuring sustained cash flow.

Speaking during the tour, Water Secretary Engineer Samwel A. O. Alima, who is also the Project Engineer, reiterated the commitment from the Ministry adding that the dam has so far recorded huge progress.
Makueni County Commissioner Henry Wafula, urged the contractor to hasten work.
The Government of Kenya (GOK) through the State Department for Water and Sanitation, with funding from African Development Bank (AfDB) is implementing Thwake Multipurpose Water Development Program Phase 1.

This is a flagship program under Vision 2030 of the Government of Kenya whose overall objective is to fulfill the long-term country’s development ambition in the areas of water, energy and agriculture, and a key project under the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). It will also provide regulation of flows on River Athi downstream of the dam for flood control and drought mitigation.

The program under which the project is being implemented, has four phases namely: -  
Construction of an 80.5 m high multi-purpose dam with storage capacity of 688 million cubic meter and associated preliminary works located one kilometer downstream of the confluence of Thwake and Athi Rivers. A concrete-faced  embankment dam covering an area of  9,217 acres, with a catchment spanning about 10,276 km2.

It will also see development of Water Supply, Sanitation and Waste Water Infrastructure to supply estimated 150,000 m3/day of treated water to approximately 1.3 million people drawn from the rural areas of Kitui and Makueni Counties and Konza Techno City in Machakos County.

Another phase comprises development of hydropower generating system with an installed capacity of approximately 20 MW and development of an Irrigation Scheme to ultimately irrigate 40,000 hectares (approx. 100,000 acres) of land.

The contractor’s scope of works entails construction and installation of concrete faced rock fill dam, main and emergency spillway, low level outlet, intake tower, ccess roads, hydro mechanical plant, electrical and mechanical plant, access road  over the dam connecting Kitui and Makueni counties and employer’s camp.
Present during the tour were Program Coordinator Eng. David Onyango, Ag. Senior Resident Engineer Dr. Negede Kassa, Engineer’s Representative Nicholas Rowse the contractor and a section of project staff.

Zacharia is a Graduate Trainee, Instrumentation Department