The National Land Commission (NLC) has issued an update on compensation for the mandatory acquisition of land for the construction of the Ksh82 billion Thwake Dam, confirming that almost all Project Affected Persons (PAPs) have been compensated.
In a statement on Saturday, October 24, NLC said it has completed 99.99 per cent of land compensation and is fast-tracking the remaining 0.01 per cent.
According to the Commission, the remaining uncompensated claims result from pending court cases and other disputes.
"NLC remains committed to ensuring fair and transparent compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) under the Thwake Dam Project. To date, the Commission has completed 99.9 per cent of PAP compensation, with the outstanding 0.1 per cent attributable to pending court cases and other disputes," NLC stated.
Ardhi House
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Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development
NLC said it remains committed to ensuring fair and transparent compensation for the affected persons, as the multibillion dam nears completion.
According to the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, construction of the dam is 94 percent complete as of October 2026.
The Ministry is targeting to begin storing water in the dam by January 2027, before official commissioning by President William Ruto in April 2027, and before other works are undertaken.
"We are targeting to store water by the end of January 2027 and commissioning by the end of April 2027. Then after that we will start doing the downstream works which includes water supply to neighbouring counties like Makueni and Kitui," stated an engineer at the site on October 16.
Phase one of the dam was to be completed by December 2026, but was delayed by funding gaps, forcing the government to advance the completion timeline to April 2027.
According to President Ruto, the government had approved Ksh10.6 billion to complete the long-delayed project, following funding challenges that stalled construction.
"We built Thwake Dam but it encountered a few challenges after the money ran out. But now we have secured the funds. We have received Ksh10.6 billion which was approved last month to complete Thwake," Ruto said.
While Phase One is expected to be commissioned by April 2027, the broader multi-phase rollout, including hydropower and irrigation components, extends through September 2028, according to the African Development Bank (AFDB).
The dam, which spans Kitui and Makueni counties, is one of Kenya's flagship water infrastructure projects and is expected to improve water supply, boost irrigation and support industrial development once completed.
The project began in 2018 but faced delays due to financial challenges. However, the government recently received a Ksh 10.6 billion boost, including a Ksh 9.6 billion (€64.20 million) loan from the African Development Bank and Ksh 630.8 million (€4.2 million) from the African Development Fund.
An Undated Image of Thwake Dam Construction Site