Eastern Regional Commissioner (RC) Evans Achoki has urged investors to seize the opportunity and invest in Lower Eastern region as Thwake Multi-purpose Dam project nears completion.
Achoki said the dam will provide enough water and sanitation besides generating enough electricity for light industries and will also be a tourist attraction site requiring hotels and restaurants to accommodate visitors.
“I urge potential investors to be ready and seize the massive opportunities that will come along with this dam. There will be enough drinking water and sanitation facilities in nearby towns, constant power supply for small-holder industries to be fed by the 20MW electricity,” said Achoki while touring Thwake Multipurpose Dam Flagship Project on Thursday.
“When the dam is complete every Kenyan who will want to see the beauty of the dam, will tour this place and find good hotels and restaurants where they can rest as they appreciate the technology of this vision 2030 flagship project,” said the administrator who chairs the Eastern Region Development Implementation Coordination Committee (RDICC).
Achoki who was accompanied by some members of the RDICC, lauded the progress of works undertaken by the contractor while challenging them to re-double their efforts and ensure they meet the November 2022 deadline for the first phase.
“We have seen the good progress of works being undertaken by the teams involved and I want to encourage them to re-double their efforts and ensure smooth and timely delivery of the first phase of this project as the State readies to implement other phases,” he said.
The mega project which is at 70 per cent completion, is co-funded by the Government of Kenya (GoK) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) and is expected to benefit over 1.3 million residents in Makueni, Kitui and parts of Machakos counties.
Achoki reiterated the government’s commitment in ensuring timely completion of the project, anchored under the Vision 2030 flagship blue-print and a key enabler of the Big 4 Agenda.
However, the administrator stated that issues of compensation and Covid-19 pandemic delayed the project but added the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation has since overcome the challenges.
On wildlife, Achoki further said the government is committed to reducing the human-animal conflict in the area adding the State through Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) will build stations around to control the menace.
The State has instructed regional commissioners to foster greater co-ordination and harmonisation in the implementation of the government’s development programmes and projects under the Medium Term Plan III, with a focus on the Big Four Agenda.
In attendance were the Programme Coordinator (PIT) Eng David Onyango who was accompanied by a section of PIT members, Senior Resident Engineer Pius Musis, and representatives from the Contractor, Consultant.
Also present was Makueni County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo who led the members of the County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC).
By Patrick Nyakundi and Ronald Rono
