Kenya: AfDB agrees financing for Thwake dam

The African Development Bank on 27 January signed agreements worth $97m to finance the first phase of the Thwake multi-purpose water development programme. Thwake will help regulate the Athi River to alleviate the effects of flooding and drought as well as supplying water for sanitation, hydropower and irrigation. The total cost of the project is estimated at $730m, with around $474m provided by the Kenyan government and the remainder by the bank’s African Development Fund concessional loans arm. Completion of phase one is expected in 2019. The dam will eventually generate up to 20MW of electricity.