President William Ruto’s latest commitment to build 50 mega dams across Kenya has sparked renewed questions about delivery, given the slow pace of previous water projects.
President Ruto used his State of the Nation address on 20 November to revive one of his signature promises: constructing 50 mega dams, 200 medium- and small-scale dams and thousands of micro-dams within five to seven years. The plan aims to bring 2.5 million acres under irrigation, turning arid and semi-arid areas into agricultural powerhouses and cutting Kenya’s Sh500 billion annual food import bill.
Familiar promise, familiar doubts
This is not the first time Kenyans have heard the dams pledge. During the 2022 campaign, Ruto spoke of building 100 dams. Weeks after taking office, the target remained 100. In April 2023, while launching the Sh18 billion Mwache Dam in Kwale, he promised 100 large dams and 1,000 smaller ones.
Yet progress remains limited. Mwache Dam, due for completion in August 2026, is only 47% complete. Thwake Dam has missed its deadlines. Itare Dam in Nakuru has been stalled for years. In July, Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa told the Senate that none of the planned 100 mega dams had been finished, blaming funding gaps and low water tariffs that deter private investors.
New sites, new funding strategy
Ruto listed dozens of mapped sites, from High Grand Falls in Mandera and Yatta in Machakos to Soin Koru in Kisumu, Rumuruti in Laikipia and Arror in Elgeyo Marakwet. The government says at least one large dam will be built in each of Kenya’s 47 counties.
Funding is now expected to flow through a new National Infrastructure Fund and Sovereign Wealth Fund, rather than fresh borrowing or higher taxes. The World Bank has endorsed the approach, calling large-scale irrigation “Kenya’s most viable path toward sustainable, high-yield agriculture”.
A potential boost came from Ruto’s 4 November visit to Qatar, where talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani secured support for the programme. “Qatar’s support will be central to enhancing food security and bringing nearly two million acres under irrigation,” the president said.
Reviving controversial projects
The list includes the once-shelved Arror and Kimwarer dams, which collapsed in 2019 amid corruption allegations that saw billions of shillings paid for little work. Cases against former officials have since been dropped, and Italian funding is being lined up to restart construction.
In Ukambani region, Ruto highlighted Sh110 billion in planned investments, including the long-awaited High Grand Falls Dam. Thwake Dam, funded by the African Development Bank, is nearing completion.
Private sector incentives
To attract investors, the Ministry of Water is drafting new charges — a “water capacity base charge” and ongoing “water capacity charge” — designed to make projects financially viable under public-private partnerships. Irrigation Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the government is focusing on value-for-money to ensure sustainability.
Mixed reactions in Parliament
Lawmakers offered sharply different views. Some hailed the emphasis on agriculture and infrastructure. Others dismissed the speech as recycled rhetoric, pointing to the gap between announcements and actual dams on the ground.
As Kenya battles rising food prices and climate shocks, the pressure is on for Ruto to turn words into water. Past delays have made many Kenyans sceptical, but the administration insists this time the funding and political will are finally aligned.
