AfDB Approves Extra $370m For Dam In Kenya

Kenya is set to receive more than $370m in loans from the African Development Bank for the completion of a dam in the country’s eastern province.

The Thwake Dam, which sits in the Thwake River, will support the semi-arid Makueni, Kitui and Machakos counties, including the up-coming technology city Konza.

The $370m consists of two loans, one from AfDB and the other from the Africa Growing Together Fund. They were approved by the AfDB Board of Directors on 14 November.

The additional funds will complement an initial disbursement of $86m given in 2013 for the construction of the dam, intended to hold up to 681 million cubic metres of water.

The 80.5 metre-high dam is intended to provide drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric energy for the region, as part of the Thwake Multi-Purpose Development Programme.

In a statement, AfDB said the disbursement would raise Kenya’s loan portfolio at the bank to about $3.65B, mainly for water and sanitation projects.

The first phase of the project is due for completion in 2022. After which hydraulic plants will be constructed to treat drinking water for more than 1.3 million residents, followed by hydro energy production and irrigation in the third and fourth phases respectively.

There has been contention between two counties that surround the proposed dam and the government, as residents are demanding that drinking water be prioritised over electricity generation, something the government is disputing.

Kenya’s Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said last year that the power generated would be used to run Konza city, as the project is closely connected to Thwake Dam. 

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