Planned Thwake Dam to displace 500 families

Hundreds of families in Kitui and Makueni counties will be displaced to pave the way for the construction of a Sh20 billion multipurpose dam at the confluence of Thwake and Athi rivers.

The Thwake Dam will provide water for domestic use and for the Konza Techno City. The water will also be used for irrigation on farms downstream in the two counties

The dam is expected to generate 23 megawatts of power.

The water reservoir will cover 10,276 square kilometres once completed, making it one of a kind in the country.

According to Mr Tito Mwamati, the chief manager in charge of infrastructure at the Tanathi Water Services Board, the dam will dwarf the seven water reservoirs built along the Tana River, in terms of size and output.

“With its 70-metre-high wall and a backflow of 10 kilometres along the two rivers, it is certainly a giant project that will transform the two counties,” he said.

Mr Mwamati said the project would be financed jointly by the national government and the African Development Bank (ADB). The government will shoulder two thirds of the cost and the ADB the remainder.

LOAN AGREEMENT

“The government will provide Sh13 billion in phases and has signed a Sh7.3 billion loan agreement with ADB to support the project,” said the water engineer in an interview.

He said Sh2 billion had been set aside in this year’s budget to compensate and resettle the affected families.

“The Sh20 billion is for constructing the dam only. An additional Sh55 billion will be required to actualise the irrigation, water supply and power generation components of the dam,” said Mr Mwamati.

The work will involve extensive excavation at the point where the two rivers meet. It will also involve the diversion of the rivers to create spillways, putting up water treatment plants and installing pipelines.

Mr Mwamati told the Nation that since 2009, engineers have been conducting geological surveys in the region to determine the strength of the underground rocks.

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr and Kitui Rural MP Charles Nyamai have insisted that the resettlement plan and the compensation formula developed by the consultants hired by the government be scrutinised by the stakeholders before they are implemented.

The leaders said efforts to address the water deficiency in the region should not be used to render the residents squatters.

COMPENSATION

Former Cabinet Minister Njeru Ndwiga, who chairs the Tanathi board, asked Kitui and Makueni leaders on Friday to help ensure the project becomes successful by properly managing the anticipated displacements.

Mr Ndwiga and his board have met the governors, MPs and senators from the two counties several times to discuss the compensation of the 519 affected families.

“The benefits of this dam to the Ukambani region and the country are massive. It’s encouraging that both the government and donors have made financial commitments to the project. The leaders should now urge the residents to support the project” he said.