WATER CS MUGAA PROMISES TO UNLOCK CASHFLOW ISSUES AS THWAKE DAM PHASE 1 MAKES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AT MORE THAN 94 PER CENT

Wote, Makueni,
Monday, September 30, 2024
Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eng. Eric Mugaa has assured the country that the State has fully engaged key stakeholders including the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fast-track cashflow for faster completion of Thwake Multipurpose Dam.
Speaking on Monday, September 30, 2024 during a tour of the AfDB-GoK funded multi-billion project, expected to benefit close to 1.3 million residents drawn from the rural parts of lower eastern counties of Makueni, Kitui and parts of Machakos, the CS assured the Contractor that his ministry will fast-track processing of the pending Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs).
“We want to push all stakeholders involved to ensure that we complete this project. Fiscal financial space we are currently operating in as a nation is cutting across all the ministries including Water and Sanitation. This is why we are in constant communication with the AfDB to fast-track payment of pending certificates so that the contractor can complete the work,” noted the CS.
He acknowledged that the Project has faced significant cashflow challenges adding that the Dam Embankment settlement in ongoing well nearly at the edges.
“Technically, for the last two months, we had to allow the dam embankment to settle properly hence no work could have been
undertaken. Settlement is nearly complete at the edge and the professionals at the ministry, Contractor and the Consultant have confirmed and assured us. It is nearly complete,” said the CS adding that “as a ministry we are keen to give value for money and for every coin spent here, people must enjoy the benefits.”
His also noted that the Project has made significant progress of more than 94 per cent with variations with the ministry keen to ensure it is completed by June next year.
“Thwake Multipurpose Dam is a flagship project under the Kenya Kwanza administration and among the five key dams being constructed in the country. This Dam will boost country’s food security agenda since the counties of Makueni and Kitui boast of fertile soils thereby uptake of irrigation is clearly significant,” said the CS during the maiden tour of the dam being constructed at the confluence of Athi and Thwake rivers in the borders of Makueni and Kitui counties.
He was accompanied by the Principal Secretary, State Department for Water and Sanitation Julius Korir, Water Secretary Eng. Samuel Alima, the Contractor, the Consultant and a section of implementation team.
Eng. Mugaa also revealed that the State has allocated Sh17 billion for the water supply component and Sh2.4 billion for the irrigation component while the first phase – which involved construction of 80.5m high multi-purpose dam with a storage of 688m m3 of water, gobbled more than Sh4 billion.
Thwake Multipurpose Water Development Program is designated as a Vision 2030 project by the Government of Kenya (GoK) and anchored on the State’s agenda to fulfil the long-term country’s development ambition in the areas of water, energy, agriculture and flood mitigation.
The program is being implemented in four phases including construction of 80.5m high multi-purpose dam with a storage of 688m m3 of water, development of hydropower generating system with an installed capacity of approximately 20MW, development of water supply and sanitation infrastructure to supply an estimated volume of 150,000 m3 per day of treated water to serve approximately 1.3 million people drawn from the rural areas of Kitui, Makueni and Konza Techno City and irrigation scheme development to ultimately irrigate 40,000 Hectares of land.
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