Thiba Dam project is set to be operational by December this year. Project Engineer, Stephen Mutinda made the announcement and said the project will be ready to control flood waters and provide water for irrigation.
Eng Mutinda said immersing of the facility with water would commence immediately in readiness to provide irrigation water to rice farmers in Mwea. He also explained that the project would have been ready earlier were it not for the delay in the approval of the master list which took nine months, translating to slow mobilisation by the contractor and in the payment of duties, taxes and levies.
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.
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.
Import cut cost
Construction of the 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.
The Project Manager, John Karanja, said the Dam at completion would hold 15 million cubic meters of water, which will be supplied to the farmers within Mutithi section where the existing scheme is being expanded by 10,000 acres. Currently, the Mwea Irrigation Scheme has 25,000 acres under rice cultivation but upon expansion will add up to 35,000 acres, which will translate to double production of paddy rice.
“As from next year upon being handed over, rice production in Mwea will double from the current 120,000 metric tons to about 250,000 metric tons due to the double cropping,” said Mr. Karanja.
