Kenya targets end of January 2027 to start filling Thwake Dam, built by China Gezhouba Group

Kenya's government is targeting the end of January 2027 to begin storing water at the Thwake Multipurpose Dam, on the border of Makueni and Kitui counties, with commissioning planned for April, The Star reported on 16 October 2026. The paper put construction at 94.23 per cent complete and said work resumed after months of delays, following additional funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The Kenya News Agency (KNA), the state news agency, gave the same dates on 9 October. It reported that the gates are to be closed by the end of January 2027 to begin impounding water, that Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Julius Korir hoped to commission the dam by April 2027, and that construction will be completed next year.

According to KNA, the project ran into cash-flow problems, and the government engaged the AfDB and secured KSh 10.6 billion to finish it. “When we ran short of cash, we engaged with our development partners,” Korir said. The Star said the additional AfDB money closed a financing gap.

The contractor is China Gezhouba Group Company, The Star reported in February 2026. Business Daily reported on 15 November 2017 that a contract to build the dam had been signed between the Water and Irrigation Ministry and China Gezhouba Group, the lowest bidder at KSh 36.9 billion, and that phase one would take 56 months.

The project is being built in four phases. People's Daily reported on 14 August 2023 that phase one covers the dam and related works, phase two a hydropower plant, phase three a water supply system and phase four irrigation, and that phase one was expected to create more than 2,000 jobs. The same report said the Chinese company had also repaired classrooms and canteens at six schools in the surrounding communities and built a hospital.

The Star named Sam Alima as the project manager. He said the remaining work included the concrete face slab and a bridge across the embankment. “The contractor has resumed with the concrete face already having some panels while others are also under preparation,” he said.

The AfDB's Director for Water and Sanitation, Eng Mtchera Chirwa, said during a site visit that the outstanding construction works were expected to be completed by the middle of 2027, according to The Star. “As a bank, we will ensure the project reaches completion and achieves the benefits,” he said.

The timetable has moved since last year. KNA reported on 25 September 2025 that Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eric Mugaa said the aim was to impound water in the next rainy season. Korir put physical progress at 94.2 per cent at the time and said the dam would be the second-largest water reservoir in the country.

In February 2026 The Star reported that the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation was seeking KSh 9.6 billion from the AfDB to finish phase one: concreting the dam face, a bridge linking Kitui and Makueni counties, and hydromechanical equipment and gates. Samuel Alima, Water Secretary in the ministry, said engineers had found a weak foundation that required excavation 7 metres deep across a 50-metre width, and that the dam height had been raised from 77.3 metres to 80.5 metres. “These variations impacted the overall budget,” he said.

According to The Star, the project is expected to produce 150,000 cubic metres of water a day for Wote and neighbouring areas and towns, supply water to Konza Technopolis, irrigate 40,000 acres and generate 20 megawatts of electricity. Its downstream components are expected to serve close to 1.3 million residents in Makueni and Kitui counties and parts of Machakos County.

“In terms of government commitment to completing this dam, it is very evident,” Korir said during his inspection of the site, as quoted by KNA.