Construction works on the Thiba Dam is set to be completed by end of this year. Project manager Engineer Stephen Mutinda assured the Kirinyaga County Development Implementation and coordination committee during an inspection tour and said that the dam was 52% complete, adding all the major works have been completed.
“With these major works now completed what is remaining will be done between now and December when we will officially hand over the mega project to our client the Government of Kenya, “said Mutinda.
Thiba Dam project’s aim is mainly to boost rice production in Kirinyaga County and improve the country’s food security. It is also a major solution to water shortage in Mwea. It involves of major irrigation and feeder canals up to the farms.
Project financing
Upon completion it is expected to provide irrigation water to the 7,952Ha Mwea Irrigation Settlement Scheme, which produces over 60% of rice grown in Kenya. The dam will also allow production of other crops such as maize and vegetables. Money from annual sales attained from the completed dam is also expected to double up from the current US $28m to US $46m.
The construction of the Thiba Dam is being financed in partnership with Japanese Government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). When fully complete, the Dam will be 40m tall and 1km long and is expected to have a holding capacity of 15 million cubic meters.
Data from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics shows that Kenya imports rice every year largely from Pakistan, Thailand, India and Vietnam. It is estimated that with the completion of Thiba Dam, the amount used for import will be reduced by half or even more if it succeeds in increasing water supply, to allow for three seasons of rice per year, unlike the current one season.
