Senators take on Water CS over Thwake Dam delays, reject Ukraine war justification

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟐 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Murithi Mugaa, found himself on the defensive in the Senate as Lawmakers sharply questioned him over delays in completing the Thwake Multipurpose Dam. Appearing before the Senate plenary, the CS was responding to concerns raised by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, who sought clarity on the dam’s progress, funding and revised timelines.

The Thwake Dam, a flagship project under Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), is designed to provide water supply, hydropower generation and irrigation for residents in Makueni, Kitui and Machakos counties. The project is also expected to supply bulk water to Konza Techno City, a key initiative aimed at positioning Kenya as a technology hub.

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠

In his submission, CS Mugaa confirmed that the dam, which stands 80.5 meters high with a storage capacity of 688 million cubic meters, is 94.2% complete.

"The embankment dam filling is at 99%, with the last layer placed on June 11, 2024. The spillway physical progress stands at 94%," he reported, seeking to reassure Lawmakers that significant progress had been made.

Despite these figures, the CS acknowledged that the project had encountered several delays including the decision to increase the dam’s height from 77.5 meters to 80.5 meters to boost its storage capacity. Other unforeseen challenges included the discovery of a weak foundation at the riverbed, which required additional excavation and special treatment.

𝑈𝑘𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑟 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

However, what angered Senators the most was the CS’s attempt to link the delay in the dam’s completion to the Russia-Ukraine war.

CS Mugaa argued that the conflict had disrupted global supply chains, particularly affecting the availability of construction materials, specialized machinery and explosives required for excavation and infrastructure development.

This justification was met with outright dismissal from senators, who challenged the CS to explain how a war in Eastern Europe had affected a dam’s construction in Kenya.

Senator Dan Maanzo (Makueni) was the first to express skepticism, saying the people of Makueni had waited too long for the project and delays caused by external factors were unacceptable.

Senator Enoch Wambua (Kitui) was more direct in his criticism.

"The CS has related the delay in completion of the dam to the Ukraine war. Now, I want him to explain to us the nexus between the Ukraine war and the construction of a dam in Kenya?" he posed.

Senator Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi) joined in, saying such excuses were an insult to Kenyans.

"You can see the frustrations of the people of this country with the sort of leadership that we have. This CS must be told to take his work seriously, to take this House seriously, so that he responds to the questions that have been posed to him," he remarked.

Defending himself, CS Mugaa maintained that the war had destabilized the global market, leading to shortages of key machines used in the construction of the dam.

𝐵𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒

In addition to construction delays, CS Mugaa revealed that the cost of the project had increased, forcing the National Treasury to seek additional funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

"The AfDB is currently appraising the project to determine the level of additional financing required," he told the Senate.

On the timeline for completion, the CS assured the House that all remaining works including concrete face slab placement, spillway bridge construction and hydro-mechanical equipment installation would be completed by October 30, 2025.

"The contractor has been instructed to commence execution of the remaining works immediately and we are monitoring the progress closely," he added.

Senator Maanzo urged the government to ensure the project is completed within the new timeline, emphasizing that further delays would hurt the people of Makueni.

"Makueni residents have waited too long for this project. We need assurances that there will be no further delays," he stated.

𝐶𝑆 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑖n𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

Earlier in the session, the Water CS also faced backlash for what Senators termed as dodging questions.

Senator Eddy Oketch (Migori) raised concerns that CS Mugaa was providing responses to questions that had not been asked, instead of directly addressing issues raised by Lawmakers.

This led to sharp criticism from Senator Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), who accused the CS of creating and answering his own questions.

"Let the Minister go back and come with a proper response on a different day, otherwise, we will give the impression that he can come to the House and answer his own questions. He can only answer the questions of the House," Sen. Khalwale stated.

His sentiments were echoed by Senators Sifuna and Wambua, who emphasized that ministers should respect the Senate and give direct, accurate answers.

Speaker Amason Kingi later ruled on the matter directing CS Mugaa to return to the Senate the following Wednesday to provide clear, well prepared responses to the questions raised.