Mwache Dam to make Mombasa and Kwale water secure in 2027

The Sh29.1 billion Mwache Dam project is now set to be completed in 2027. Once done, the dam will not only make Kwale and Mombasa counties water secure, but also help in power generation, environmental resilience and food security.

The Water Resources Authority board of directors toured the project last Friday and gave the progress a thumbs up.

The board, led by chairman Donald Murgor, said it has been delayed for five years due to various issues including compensation demands by the project affected persons and disputes between the contractor and the employees.

It is a community-driven initiative that integrates sustainable land and livelihood management strategies to enhance the region’s environmental resilience.

The project’s watershed management component aims to curb soil erosion, conserve the environment and provide alternative livelihood opportunities for communities, thereby enhancing income and food security.

The contractor, Sino Hydro Corporation and Engineering of China, signed the deal in 2018. President William Ruto launched the project in April last year.

Co-funded by the Kenyan government and the World Bank, the multi-purpose water reservoir, a Vision 2030 flagship project, will supply an estimated 186,000 cubic metres of water daily to Kwale and Mombasa counties, significantly improving access to clean water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes.

Murgor said the project is a model for sustainable water resource management, combining environmental conservation with socio-economic development with aspects of environmental conservation like prevention of soil erosion.

“By reducing soil erosion and promoting alternative livelihoods like goat and bee farming, we are setting a strong foundation for long-term resilience and prosperity for communities in the region,” he said.

The project is also designed to support power generation, further boosting regional and national development.

Located on the Mwache River basin within a highly-degraded catchment area in Fulugani village in Kwale County characterised by erratic rainfall, the project encompasses 24 sub-catchments.

The Mwache Dam project is expected to harness the floodwaters from Mwache River basin in Kinango Subcounty and help tackle persistent water shortages in the coastal region.

Murgor said besides water supply, the project will help reduce siltation at the Kipevu Port, a critical hub for the East African Community region, thereby enhancing the efficiency of maritime operations.