Infrastructure

AfDB Applauds as Thwake Dam Project Shifts into High Gear

AfDB has praised quality construction works by the China Gezhouba Company.

Updated on

October 22, 2025

The multi-billion-shilling Thwake Multi-Purpose Dam project on the border of Kitui and Makueni has received praise from its co-financier, who is quite impressed with the progress.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), which is partly financing the project, described the progress as tremendous and promised to ensure the development’s completion.

AfDB Director General East Africa Region, Dr Alex Mutebi, applauded the Ministry of Water for careful supervision and quality construction works by the China Gezhouba Company.

“The progress here is notable and we eagerly anticipate the day when water flows to the people of Kitui and Makueni,” Dr Mutebi said on Wednesday during a tour of the project.

The director general highlighted AfDB’s long-standing partnership with Kenya, emphasising the bank’s commitment to seeing the project through to completion.

“As a bank, we have a duty to finish what we started. The dam’s completion promises to reshape the socio-economic landscape of the Lower Eastern Region, offering hope to millions, particularly women and children, who have endured water scarcity,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Water Secretary Samuel Alima announced that construction had advanced significantly, with concrete face slabbing underway since mid-September.

“We have requested additional resources from the AfDB ahead of the November board meeting. With this funding, we shall complete critical components, including the concrete face, the Kitui-Makueni link road and bridge, and the installation of hydro-mechanical equipment and gates, within eight months,” Alima stated.

Dr Mutebi expressed hope that the additional Sh10.5 billion needed to complete phase one of the project may be secured at the AfDB Board meeting on November 15, 2025.

The contractor, China Ghezouba Company, has undertaken major works on site, including establishing two giant tunnels to divert Athi River flow for excavation works at the river bed.

Jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project will be implemented in four phases at Sh81.89 billion.

Phase one involves building an 87m high dam wall with 688 million cubic meters of storage capacity, and preliminary works for the implementation of the subsequent phases.

This segment will cost Sh42.4 billion.

Phase two will involve the installation of a hydropower generation plant, while phase three comprises the installation of water supply, sanitation, and wastewater infrastructure.

Phase four of the Thwake Dam project will involve setting up the irrigation component.

Through budgetary allocations to the respective ministry, the government will invest Sh59.95 billion into the project, while AfDB will contribute Sh21.94 billion.

The Thwake Dam will provide water for domestic, irrigation, hydropower, as well as industrial activities in the beneficiary counties.

It will mainly serve Makueni County as well as certain parts of Kitui County.

In March 2019, then Auditor-General Edward Ouko warned that the project could stall as the State had yet to secure funding for the last three phases of the project.

He said that although the AfDB and the government had approved Sh42 billion in funding for phase one, the remaining phases with a budget of Sh40 billion were yet to be planned for.

Since 2013, Kenya has either signed or planned to sign deals valued at more than Sh700 billion for the construction of mega dams in various parts of the country.

The government is building at least five mega-dams at a cost of more than Sh156bn in deals that were signed after the Jubilee administration took over leadership in 2013.

These include Thwake Dam; Itare Dam in Nakuru – at Sh28bn; Karimenu Dam in Gatundu – at Sh24bn; Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga – at Sh16bn; and Siyoi Dam in West Pokot – at Sh5bn.

The government has also signed deals for the construction of the Sh20bn Bosto Dam in Bomet, the Sh17bn Ruiru II dam in Kiambu, and the Sh20bn Mwache Dam in Kwale County.