Kenya says Chinese-built dam to unleash multiple benefits

NAIROBI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-built Thwake Multipurpose Dam, located in Kenya's southeastern county of Makueni, is almost complete, and its commissioning later this year will pave the way for the country's socio-economic transformation, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Zachariah Njeru, cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, said the dam is expected to boost water supply, irrigation, and hydropower generation in the drought-prone lower eastern parts of the country.

"This multipurpose dam will be a game changer in this region. We are going to sort out the issue of food insecurity and water for both domestic and livestock. We will also have that component of power," Njeru said during an inspection tour of the dam.

During the tour, Njeru witnessed the completion of the dam's embankment fill, which will be followed by the construction of a bridge and the installation of gates.

Co-financed by the Kenyan government and the African Development Bank (AfDB), the construction of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam by China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) commenced in March 2018.

The dam, which will be implemented in four phases that cover the installation of the embankment, water supply infrastructure, hydropower generation, and irrigation, is a flagship project of Kenya's Vision 2030.

Njeru said the dam will provide nearly 150,000 cubic meters of treated water per day to 1.3 million people in the lower eastern region and irrigate 100,000 acres of land.

In addition, Njeru said the dam is expected to generate 20 megawatts of hydroelectric power, furthering Kenya's quest for energy security, which is critical to industrial growth.

He said the dam project highlights the vitality of Kenya-China cooperation in infrastructure development in line with the Belt and Road Initiative.