Karimenu II Dam: Sh24 Billion Project To Supply Water To 1 Million Residents In Kiambu And Parts Of Nairobi

KIAMBU, Kenya, Aug, 2 – President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday commissioned the Sh24 billion Karimenu II Dam in Gatundu North, Kiambu County, a Vision 2030 flagship project started in 2019 with joint funding from the Governments of Kenya and China

The 59-metre high dam occupying 600 acres of land will supply 70 million litres of water daily to close to 1 million residents of Gatundu, Juja, Ruiru and parts of Nairobi City.

Speaking to thousands of area residents, who braved the chilly weather to receive him, President Kenyatta announced Gov’t plans to expand the dam so as to benefit many more residents of Kiambu County.

At the same time, the President said the Gov’t was in the process of settling all pending compensation claims for land owners who ceded their land for the project noting that the funds had been factored into this year’s budget.

In the Feasibility Study and Master Plan for Developing New Water Sources for Nairobi and Satellite Towns study carried out in 2012, Karimenu II Dam was recommended for development as one of the sources to supply water to Ruiru-Juja towns and the adjoining areas.

The Karimenu II Dam Water Supply Project is located in Kiambu County, Central Province of Kenya, 75Km North of Nairobi. The proposed Karimenu II Dam will be constructed across Karimenu River.

Karimenu II Dam is being implemented under the EPC-F framework by Joint Venture between M/s AVIC International Holding Corporation (AVIC) and M/s Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (SMEDI) with financing from China Exim Bank and the Government of Kenya.

The contract was signed on May.9, 2014 with a construction period of 36 months and 12 month Defects Notification Period. The construction works commenced in May, 2019 and were scheduled to be completed by May, 2022.