The wait for water from the long-delayed Thwake Dam has been extended once again after President William Ruto announced that the project will now be completed in April next year, months after the government had targeted December as the commissioning date.
The new timeline means residents of Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties will have to wait longer before benefiting from one of the country's biggest water projects, which is expected to supply water for homes, irrigation and livestock while supporting the growth of Konza Technocity.
Speaking after attending a church service and fundraising at St Martin's ACK Church in Kitui Town, the President attributed the latest delay to funding challenges, saying the government had exhausted the money allocated to the project before securing additional financing.
“Thwake Dam is the biggest dam project in the country. We had planned to complete it by December. However, it encountered problems after we ran out of money. We have now secured Sh10.6 billion for completing the dam. The money was approved last month,” President Ruto said.
“I have directed the Ministry of Water and the contractor that we need to commission Thwake Dam by April so that communities can start accessing water for domestic use, for watering their livestock and for growing crops through irrigation,” he said.
The African Development Bank-funded project, located on the border of Kitui and Makueni counties, is among the Vision 2030 flagship projects and has been under construction for more than a decade. It has experienced repeated delays despite being viewed as a key investment for the development of the Ukambani region.
President Ruto said the government had found a lasting way of financing major infrastructure projects through the National Infrastructure Fund, arguing that the new model would prevent future delays in projects such as dams.
“Through the National Infrastructure Fund, we shall accelerate, in a sustainable way, the rollout of mega infrastructure projects which include dams. For more than 40 years we knew we needed to construct dams, but we lacked an elaborate formula of delivering them. We have now created the formula. Already we have collected Sh350 billion in the National Infrastructure Fund. That means we can now plan the rollout of commercially viable projects worth Sh3 trillion,” he said.
President William Ruto speaking to congregants during a church service in Kitui on July 12, 2026
PHOTO/PCS
The President maintained that his administration would continue distributing development projects across the country without considering how different regions voted during the 2022 General Election.
He said construction of the River Enziu bridge in Kitui County, where more than 30 people lost their lives in a 2021 tragedy, was nearing completion.
“In Kitui County alone, we are doing 250 kilometres of roads worth Sh5.6 billion. When we rollout the National Infrastructure Fund we shall accelerate the programme,” he said.
The roads under construction include the Mbondoni-Kwa Siku Road, Ikutha-Mutha Road and Chuluni-Zombe Road, which President Ruto inspected during his visit to the county.
He added that Kitui County had also been lined up for Sh15 billion worth of affordable housing projects, alongside the construction of modern markets.
“We are setting up 20 modern markets in Kitui County. Eleven of them are underway. There are plane to construct another nine markets,” Dr Ruto said.
The President also appealed to residents of the Ukambani region to support his administration ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying his government was determined to ensure the region receives its fair share of development.
“You should get used to me. This time round, I’m not leaving you behind. Ukambani region has lagged behind for a long time in terms of development. I cannot allow the Ukambani region to be left out when we are forming the government of Kenya,” he said.
President Ruto was accompanied by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, Aviation and Aerospace Principal Secretary Terry Mbaika, Kitui County Speaker Kelvin Kinengo and MPs Charles Nguna, Joshua Mwalyo, Vincent Musyoka, Mwengi Mutuse and Rachel Nyamai.