The government has announced that the Mwache Multipurpose Dam Project in Kwale County is nearing completion, with construction now 99 per cent complete, in a major milestone for efforts to improve water security and support agricultural and economic growth in the Coast region.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the project is a key component of the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and is expected to address long-standing water shortages affecting households, farmers and industries in Mombasa County and Kwale.
Speaking on the progress of the project, Omollo said water remains a critical pillar of food security and agricultural transformation under the BETA programme.
“It is against this backdrop that the Mwache Multipurpose Dam Project in Kwale County is being implemented to strengthen water security and support sustainable economic growth across the Coast region,” he said.
The project was launched in April 2023 by President William Ruto, and the government says it has now reached its final stages of construction.
The 84-metre-high dam is being built on the Mwache River at Fulugani and is expected to provide a reliable long-term source of water for both counties once operational.
According to the PS, the dam will have a storage capacity of about 127 million cubic metres and is projected to supply approximately 186,000 cubic metres of water daily for domestic, industrial and irrigation use.
The project is also expected to support livestock production and expand opportunities for economic development across the Coast region.
Implemented under the Coast Region Water Security and Climate Resilience Project, the dam is intended to strengthen resilience against climate-related shocks while improving livelihoods through increased access to water.
Omollo said the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration is continuing to coordinate resettlement activities, protect project infrastructure and maintain security around the site to ensure smooth implementation.
He said the government expects the dam to become a transformative asset for the Coast region by unlocking growth, improving living standards and delivering lasting benefits to future generations once completed.
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