Construction of Sh29.1 billion Mwache Dam in Kwale County has been disrupted by compensation and livelihood restoration demands by the local community, Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimani has revealed.
In response to the National Assembly on the implementation status of the dam as requested by Kinango MP, Gonzi Rai the PS noted that the project was 12.6 per cent complete as of July 2024.
Kimani warned that the interruptions of the work could increase accumulative claims by the contractor.
“The acquisition for Priority Areas One and Two is complete. Additional funds are being secured to compensate the remaining Project Affected Persons,” he said.
The World Bank/IDA finances Sh29.2 billion for implementation, while the Kenyan government covers land acquisition costs to compensate persons affected by the project.
The PS added that the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Sanitation is actively working to secure the remaining Sh2.2 billion from the Government needed to pay the remaining PAPs.
Mwache Dam is located across the Mwache River at Fulugani village in Kwale County, about 22 kilometres west of Mombasa.
Construction of the dam commenced in March 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
The dam will supply 186,000 m³/day of clean water to Mombasa and Kwale counties and provide irrigation for 1,000 acres, benefiting over 2,000 farmers.
The dam is a concrete gravity structure, standing about 84 metres tall, with a 2,250 km² catchment area and a reservoir capacity of approximately 118 million m³.
The key components of the dam include the main dam, a check dam, roads, an administration block, and a base camp.
The Mwache Catchment, covering Kwale, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta Counties, focuses on sustainable land and water management across 24 sub-catchments.
Initiatives include expanding irrigated areas from 250 to over 1,000 acres using the Farmer-Led Irrigation Approach (FLID) at the Pemba Upper Check Dam.