Kwale Fulugani Primary School Reconstruction Nears Completion Under Mwache Dam Resettlement Plan

The physical landscape of Fulugani village in Kwale County is undergoing a visible transition as the reconstruction of Fulugani Primary School reaches its final stages. The project, a central component of the social safeguards under the Coast Region Water Security and Climate Resilience Project (CWSCRP), addresses the involuntary displacement caused by the development of the Sh20 billion Mwache Multipurpose Dam. 

The new institution replaces an aging facility where students previously occupied mud-walled structures characterized by earthen floors and significant structural gaps. These former classrooms provided little resistance to weather conditions and were increasingly overcrowded. In contrast, the newly built campus has been designed to support the modern requirements of Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework, shifting the learning environment from basic survival to a standard suited for technical and academic instruction.

The upgraded facility now comprises 32 standard classrooms, two specialized activity rooms, and an administration block. To ensure the school serves the community’s full educational cycle, the project includes an Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) section. This wing consists of six classrooms, a dedicated kitchen, and an office. Unlike the previous site, which lacked basic amenities, the new grounds feature a multipurpose hall for school and community functions.

Infrastructure specifications for the site include the installation of solar lighting systems and electrical works across all buildings to facilitate extended learning hours. To resolve historical water scarcity issues at the school, the construction team has integrated a dual-supply system involving piped water and rainwater harvesting. Each block is equipped with 10,000-litre storage tanks to maintain a steady supply during dry periods. Security measures have also been standardized, with the compound secured by a barbed wire fence supplemented by a perimeter of live apple plants.

The reconstruction is part of a broader resettlement action plan managed by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, with funding support from the World Bank. Because the original school site sat within the footprint of the planned Mwache Dam reservoir, the government, through the National Lands Commission, acquired new land to facilitate the move. This relocation process has been monitored by the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration to maintain stability and ensure the coordination of essential services during the transition.

While the primary objective of the CWSCRP is to stabilize water supply for Mombasa and Kwale counties through the 84-meter-high Mwache Dam, the social infrastructure component is a requirement for project continuity. The displacement of Fulugani Primary, alongside Nunguni Primary and the Mwache Bridge ECDE Centre, had previously been a point of local concern. The completion of these facilities is intended to mitigate the disruption of social services as the main dam construction proceeds. 

According to project timelines, handing over of the modern school facilities is expected to conclude by the end of 2025. This will mark the formal transition of the student population from the temporary or dilapidated structures to the new site, allowing for the decommissioning of the old school grounds located in the dam’s inundation zone.