Sh 20bn Mwache Dam project to begin next month
Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya who has cautioned leaders in the county against misleading residents and politicising the multi-billion Mwache dam project. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The construction of the Sh20 billion Mwache Dam project in Kwale County is set to begin next month.
The project has been delayed for over six years due to compensation disputes between the locals, leaders, and the government.
The project is set to begin after the government compensated more than half of the residents who are supposed to relocate to pave way for the construction of the dam.
Speaking in Kwale County, Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Joseph Irungu said the government was now ready to start the critical process of construction as 77 percent of the population set to be affected by the project have been compensated. He said the rest will be compensated by the end of the month of October.
“All those who are living in the areas where the dam construction will be done are now ready to relocate after they received the compensation,” he said.
The project co-funded by the World Bank requires at least 1600 acres of land and will involve the displacement of approximately 12,000 people living in Fungulani.
The dam project is expected to generate water that will be supplied in Mombasa and Kwale counties resolving the perennial shortage of clean water in the two counties.
National Lands Commissioner (NLC) Kazungu Kambi said the rest of the payment to the persons affected by the project will be made by the end of October. He added that the project will produce at least 186 000 cubic meters of litres per day for Kwale and Mombasa residents.
“We thank Kwale county government for their support in ensuring that we have reached this milestone. It is through such cooperation that will make the government project successful,” said Mr Kazungu.
On his part, Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said that the dam will finally solve some of the drought issues being experienced in Kinango Sub-County where the construction will take place.
The resolution comes after Mr Mvurya had called for a halt of the project until all the residents affected by the projects are compensated enough.
In September, Mr Mvurya sought Water CS Sicily Kariuki’s intervention over the compensation issues arguing that the local government had been side-lined in key decision-making processes.
“We are happy that this has finally been resolved. We support the project wholeheartedly because it is not only going to be a boost for agribusiness through irrigation but will also improve the economy of the country,” he said.
However, despite lauding the 77 percent compensation of the residents, Kinango Mp Benjamin Tayari said that the residents had been under-compensated.
“If a similar project was taking place in some other part of the country. Residents would have at least received Sh1 million compensation per acre of land. But our people are being offered very little money,” he said.
He, however, added that completion of the dam will see most of the water problems in his constituency that have for long been affected by drought issues partially resolved.
Mr Tayari urged residents to cooperate with the government officials for the project to be a success.
Earlier this year, the government launched the construction of Makamini Dam, also in Kwale County whose completion is set to relieve at least 40,000 residents who will be supplied by the clean water generated from the dam.
