President Uhuru Commissions Sh24 Billion Karimenu II Dam in Kiambu

President Kenyatta has officially commissioned the Sh24 billion Karimenu II Dam in Gatundu North, Kiambu County which has been under construction since 2019.

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

The Karimenu II Dam, which was jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the China Exim Bank, was implemented through a joint venture between International Holding Corporation and the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute.

The 26,540,000 cubic meter dam project involves the laying of more than 60km of water pipes and the construction of 23,500 cubic meters and 3,000 cubic meters reinforced concrete tanks in Ruiru and Juja respectively.

Speaking during the commissioning of the project, President Kenyatta announced plans by the government to expand the Karimenu II Dam so as to benefit many more residents of Kiambu County. 

The president, who is on a working tour of Kiambu County, further indicated that the government is 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.

At the same time, Kenyatta urged Gatundu North residents to vote for the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga and running mate Martha Karua, saying the two are best placed to steer the country forward.

Earlier on, Kenyatta presided over the issuance of 14,000 title deeds to area residents at Kamangu Primary School grounds in Kikuyu.