President Uhuru calls for speedy completion of Mwache Dam

President Uhuru Kenyatta being received by Coast Development Authority Managing Director Dr Mohammed Keinan (PHOTO; Courtesy)

President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for speedy work on Mwache dam, which he says, will have a huge impact on the community once finished.

Speaking in Mombasa recently, the President called on Coast Development Authority (CDA) to hasten on the implementation of the construction of the mwache dam promising to open it once complete.

“I will personally open the project early next year, its completion will have a huge impact on the people of the coastal region,” he noted.

The Coast Development Authority Chairman Kazungu Kambi and Managing Director Dr Mohammed Keinan received the president during the stopover at the agency’s stand

Mwache Dam, the biggest in the region, will address the perennial shortage of water in Mombasa and Kwale counties.

In 2017, the National Land Commission said it had received Sh150 million from the then Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water and Irrigation Hon. Eugene Wamalwa to begin compensation to residents of Mwache whose land will be used for the construction of a multi-purpose Dam.

The seven-year project funded by the World Bank through Kenya Water Security programme is expected to provide 138 million CM3 water for domestic, irrigation and livestock use to Kwale County and supply water for domestic use to Mombasa County.

The project is one of the government’s flagship projects envisioned to end the decades-old water shortage in Kwale and Mombasa Counties. The project has a major irrigation component that is expected to produce enough food to deal with the famine problem in this area.

Cumulative achievement to date include 40,000 tree seedlings planted, 40 Ha under forest cover and restored, 32 Km of terraces constructed and 40km of riparian land along Mwache and Mnyenzeni River restored.