Residents of Kasemeni ward in Kinango sub-County, Kwale County, have protested against compensation rates for land earmarked for multi-billion shilling Mwache dam.
The residents from 24 villages, who were accompanied by Kwale Woman Representative Zulekha Hassan, rejected the Sh350,000 per acre offer and are instead demanding Sh5 million for a similar portion.
The locals argued that land prices in the area were high and National Lands Commission (NLC) should review its offer before they pave way for the dam set to provide water to Kwale and Mombasa counties. Hassan denied claims that the residents were against the project, saying they are only opposed to the current offer which is far below the market value.
Mwache multi-purpose dam
The Mwache multi-purpose dam development project is a priority investment by the Government as a flagship project of Vision 2030.ย The project was under the portfolio of the former Ministry of Regional Development Authorities (MoRDA) through the Coast Development Authority (CDA) working in partnership with Coast Water Services Board (CWSB).
The project which was first mulled by CDA in 1995 has been delayed due to lack of funding. But now plans to begin construction were given fresh impetus when the government secured the required funding. Population growth and growing demand for precious water resources also accelerated the construction of the mega-dam.
The project is being co-funded by the World Bank and the Government of Kenya to the tune of Sh 20bn. The dam site is located across the Mwache River at the Fulugani village, Kwale County, about 22 km west of the city of Mombasa. The Coast Water Supply Master Plan identified the dam as the preferential, viable, and necessary long-term option for water supply to Mombasa and Kwale counties.
The dam is meant to harness floodwaters from Mwache River basin in Kinango Sub County and help tackle persistent water shortages in the coastal region. The Mwache Dam will be an 87.5 meter-tall concrete gravity dyke, impounding 118 million cubic meters for water supply and irrigation and is expected to boost the water supply for Kwale and Mombasa counties. The massive dam when complete is also expected to put 2,600 hectares of land under irrigation in Kwale County.
