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"id": 1545282,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
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"content": " We now move to Question No.9. The Hon. Senator for Makueni County, you may proceed to ask your Question."
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"id": 1545283,
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"content": "Question No.009"
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"content": "STATUS OF CONSTRUCTION OF THWAKE DAM"
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"id": 1545285,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Maanzo",
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"legal_name": "Maanzo Daniel Kitonga",
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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to ask the following two questions to the CS, Water, Sanitation and Irrigation- (1) Could the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the status of the construction of Thwake Dam in Makueni County and explain why the construction works have stalled? (2) What measures has the Government put in place to ensure the timely completion of the dam and could the Cabinet Secretary give the timeline? Thank you."
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. CS, you may proceed."
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{
"id": 1545287,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545287/?format=api",
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"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation",
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"content": "(Hon. (Eng.) Eric Murithi Mugaa): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The first part of the Question reads- “Could the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the status of the construction of Thwake Dam in Makueni County, and explain why construction works have stalled?” Hon. Speaker, Sir, the construction of the 80.5-meter-high Thwake Multipurpose Dam, with a capacity of 688-million-meter-cubic storage capacity, is ongoing with civil works on dam construction at 94.2 per cent completion level. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the project has not stalled, but it has reduced its rate of works. The stage at which the dam is does not require the use of a lot of heavy machinery and equipment. The embankment dam filling, which is the key component of the dam, is recorded at 99 per cent, achieving the required levels of elevation of 916 meters above the sea level, being the last layer placed on 18th June, 2024. The spillway physical progress stands at around 94 per cent. The upstream and downstream coffer-dams have been completed and are operational, and the two diversion tunnels of 12-meter diameter and each approximately 740-meter long are also completed and working. This being a rock-filled dam structure, a period of six to nine months was required from the last placement of the final layer on 18th June, 2024 to allow the dam embankment to settle and stabilise before the concrete face-slab works are carried out as recommended by the World Dam Safety Panel of Experts and this was achieved at the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1545288,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545288/?format=api",
"text_counter": 73,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "end of January, 2025. The remaining works are on the concrete face-slab placement, that is, the plaster, the spillway bridge and the hydromechanical equipment installation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the construction period was expected to end on 7th December, 2024, and the anticipated completion date of the dam could not be realised because of the following reasons- (1) There were delays in work progress because of an increase in the dam height from 77.5 meters to 80.5 meters to increase storage capacity. (2) There were weak foundations of the dam at the riverbed, which was discovered during its construction, necessitating excessive excavation and special treatment that took quite a while. (3) The global pandemic and the war at Ukraine that resulted in scaling down of the labour force due to lack of explosives - and when I talk of explosives, it is about ammonium nitrates in the country during the period from 2020 to 2023. The country imports these explosives, some iron and steel products from Ukraine. During this period, the available explosives were between 150 to 200 tonnes per month, against a demand of 600 to 700 tonnes per month. In addition, during the pandemic, ammonium nitrates used to produce explosives were directed to the production of oxygen to support the fight against the pandemic. We have letters written to the Principal Secretary, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining to intervene and support the contractor to acquire these key supplies that were required at foundation level. Mr. Speaker, Sir, adequate time required to allow the dam embankment to settle before the concrete face-slab, which is the remaining component is done, has greatly reduced the rate of works. This is because, the hauling of material from the quarry sites to the dam embankment has been completed. Just to give a perspective of the construction, at the peak, the contractor had deployed around 77 trucks, 21 rigs and 31 excavators, which made the site very active and very busy. Mr. Speaker, Sir, part two of the question was what measures has the Government put in place to ensure the timely completion of the dam, and could the Cabinet Secretary give the timelines? The remaining dam construction works are on the concrete face-slab placement, the spillway bridge and the hydromechanical equipment installation. These works were due to commence once the dam embankment settlement rate, which the rate is five millimetres per month and below is achieved, as advised and adopted by the Panel of Experts. Therefore, the Ministry is undertaking the following measures to ensure timely completion of the project- (1) The Ministry and the dam supervision consultant, in consultation with the World Dam Safety Panel of Experts, has been monitoring the settlement level of embankment for a period of nine months from July, 2024 until the attainment of the recommended rate. (2) As at 30th January, 2025, all settlement recordings for the critical sections of the dam embankment had reduced to below the recommended five millimetre per month The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
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"id": 1545289,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545289/?format=api",
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"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation",
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"speaker": null,
"content": "threshold and stabilised, ready to commence face-slab construction. The Ministry wrote to the contractor via the letter indicated on 20th February, 2025, to immediately commence the execution of the remaining works, which is on the concrete face-slab placement. The Government, through the National Treasury, has written to the African Development Bank (ADB) to avail adequate resources for the completion of the dam. The bank has commenced a routine contract appraisal to determine the resources required for the completion of the dam and the bank approval is expected in April, 2025. Therefore, this will be effective by May, 2025. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in this regard, the project will be completed as planned, and the first impoundment is expected to happen by the short rains in December, 2025. The contractor is under clear instructions to ensure the remaining dam construction works are completed by 30th October, 2025. Finally, the contractor has submitted a revised programme of works to adhere to the same and the revised programme of works is being evaluated. Further, the Government has ensured there is adequate supplementary two budget and mobilised the required teams - the consultant, the dam Safety Panel of Experts, the Project Implementation Team (PIT) for supervising the works and guiding in the overall operation of the construction management. Additional financing, through additional financing request, as explained above, has also been made. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
},
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"text_counter": 75,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Manzo."
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"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545291/?format=api",
"text_counter": 76,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Maanzo",
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"speaker": {
"id": 13589,
"legal_name": "Maanzo Daniel Kitonga",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, this morning I have received a document which has a very detailed presentation, though to me it looks scientific in nature. I believe it goes on to explain the scientific mechanisms of some part of what I had asked. However, I would like to ask two supplementary questions, with your permission. I am aware that there is ADB funding in this dam, and also the Government funding in the same dam. What was the percentage of each and has the Government of Kenya met its part of bargain? Secondly, there were people who were not compensated in this dam, and those were the ones who had succession cases or had pending cases in court, but I am aware that most or all of them have been completed. Could the Cabinet Secretary explain when they will complete compensating these individuals since there seems to be a delay because the National Land Commission (NLC) has not been cooperative to those who have tried following this matter?"
}
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