Kenya Receives €235m to Complete Thwake Dam

November 21, 2018
Kenya Receives €235m to Complete Thwake Dam

By Dipo Olowookere

Two loans worth €235.763 million were on November 14, 2018 approved by the board of African Development Bank (AfDB) for the completion of Thwake dam on Thwake River in southern Kenya, Business Post has learnt.

The package, which was requested by Kenyan authorities, comprises two loans – €192.570 million from the Bank and €43.193 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGFT).

This additional support follows a €76 million loan granted by the Bank in 2013 to start building the dam as part of the Thwake Multi-Purpose Development Programme (TMWDP), which aims to provide drinking water, hydroelectric energy and irrigation.

The dam is a strategic water supply project for the large semi-arid area of Makueni County and surrounding regions, including the new technology city of Konza.

Completion of the 80.5 metres high multi-purpose dam will enable the storage of 681 million m3 of water, of which 625 million m3 will be used for electricity production and downstream irrigation of agricultural land; 22 million m3 for upstream irrigation and 34 million for human use. Construction in the initial phase of the TMWDP project should be completed in December 2022.

This will be followed by three further phases:1) the construction of hydraulic plants to treat up to 34,600 m3 of water for household use for 674,700 rural inhabitants and up to 117,200 m3 for 640,000 residents in the technology city of Konza; 2) hydroelectric energy production; 3)  40,000 ha of irrigation.

The bank’s €3.2 billion Kenya portfolio comprises 33 operations. Water and sanitation operations account for about 22% of the portfolio’s value for the public sector.

Dipo Olowookere

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan.

Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

Leave a Reply

Consolidated Hallmark Insurance
Previous Story

Consolidated Hallmark Insurance to Raise Share Capital by N2.5b

Tonye Cole: His Assassination Attempt, What Happens Next—Princewill
Next Story

Tonye Cole: His Assassination Attempt, What Happens Next—Princewill

Latest from World