Mwache Dam Hits 90 Percent Completion as Community Talks Continue

Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eng. Eric Mugaa on Friday chaired the monthly Mwache community engagement meeting. The project stands at 90 percent completion.

The forum allows the project team to engage local communities, build trust, refine budgets and resolve neighbourhood challenges. Residents, leaders and organisations reviewed plans and shared feedback during the session.

Discussions covered ways to maximise social and economic benefits for Kwale and Mombasa counties. Key issues included compensation for Project-Affected Persons and livelihood restoration payments.

Mugaa said he was impressed by the strong relationships that have developed between the implementation team and the Mwache community. The meeting featured constructive two-way dialogue on several outstanding matters.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment under President William Ruto to improving livelihoods nationwide. Progress on the Mwache Dam and other major projects was cited as evidence of that focus.

The Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by Principal Secretary Julius Korir, Water Secretary Eng. S.A.O. Alima and other senior ministry officials. Their presence underscored the priority attached to community relations at this stage.

Mwache Dam is a major water infrastructure project intended to serve coastal communities. The high completion rate places the works firmly in the final stages of construction.

Community engagement has been structured as a regular monthly process. This approach aims to address concerns in real time as the project nears commissioning and handover.

Compensation and livelihood restoration remain central topics for those affected by the works. Officials used the meeting to provide updates and receive direct input from residents and local organisations.

The strong working relationship noted by the Cabinet Secretary is presented as a positive factor for smooth completion. Local leaders participated actively in the review of plans and timelines.

Further engagement sessions are expected as the remaining ten percent of works are finished. The 90 percent mark signals that the bulk of civil and structural activity has already been completed.

Benefits for Kwale and Mombasa counties form a recurring theme in the discussions. The project is positioned as a contributor to water security and broader economic opportunity in the coastal region.

Residents raised practical questions about payment schedules and restoration programmes. The project team responded within the structured forum format that has become standard for the scheme.

As the dam approaches full completion, attention is shifting toward operational readiness and the realisation of promised local benefits. The monthly meetings provide a continuing channel for dialogue.

Mugaa’s visit and chairing of the session reinforced the ministry’s visibility on the ground. The combination of high physical progress and sustained community contact defines the current phase of the Mwache project.