The National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority has assured that the revived Umaa Dam project in Kitui Central will not face any more delays. Acting CEO Julius Mugun noted that significant progress has been made since the project restarted in January, despite some initial challenges.
“The work is progressing well. It’s currently at 14 percent, and we expect the pace to accelerate moving forward. We are fully committed to ensuring this project does not stall again,” Mugun said, referring to the more than 10-year halt the project experienced.
Mugun made these remarks during a visit to Kitui, where the NWHSA’s technical and strategy committee, chaired by Kipseng’eret Koros, inspected the ongoing work. The team also paid a courtesy call to Governor Julius Malombe.
Governor Malombe expressed gratitude to President William Ruto for responding positively to his request to revive the Umaa Dam project. He had made the appeal when the president attended a thanksgiving service in Kitui shortly after his election in August 2022.
The National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority has since taken charge of overseeing the revival of the project, which was halted in 2009 due to a dispute between the contractor and the government. China Jiangxi International Corporation is now tasked with completing the Sh1.9 billion dam. The company started work in January this year and has a two-year deadline to finish the project.
Koros reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing the necessary funding for the project. “The government is determined to ensure the project is completed. We are grateful for the support, and we believe the current administration will see this project through as scheduled,” he said.
Kitui’s water and irrigation executive, Peter Nkunda, highlighted the positive impact the completed project will have on Kitui town and its surrounding areas, reducing water shortages in the municipality.
Umaa Dam, a Vision 2030 flagship project, has a storage capacity of 1.228 million cubic meters and is expected to supply 3,975 cubic meters of water per day. Once completed, it will serve over 75,000 people in Kitui County.
