Danish Consultants start design works for the KES. 11 billion Thika water & sewer project

Thika Water & Sewerage Company (THIWASCO) has kicked off a KES. 11 billion infrastructural journey to meet Thika’s consumer water demand for the next 20 years.

This project that is funded by Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance (DSIF) is now at the design stage.  When complete, will add an extra 36,000 m³ (36 million litres) of water per day bringing the company’s daily water supply to about 65 million litres per day against the current supply of 39 million litres per day.

This was revealed on Thursday during a visit of DSIF Vice President Tina Kollerup Hansen who acknowledged that the project has now reached a very important milestone

“We have now reached a very important milestone where we are entering the design and tender phase and am happy now to work with the project’s consultant team. I think this is a very good project where we can build on the capacity here in Kenya to take advantage of the competencies and technologies from Denmark to achieve a very good sustainable project that brings reliable and good quality water to the people in the area,” said Tina.

In this project, the company plans to tap water at the junction of the Kiama and Thika Rivers in Murang’a County.

(Related video story: DSIF Vice President Tina Kollerup hails THIWASCO KSH. 11billion project as an important milestone)

Speaking during the visit, THIWASCO Managing Director Eng. Moses Kinya said that the project will involve, among other things, the construction of a 10m high dam on the Chania River and another 10m high dam at the Thika 3A location.

The MD added that they will also construct 3 more sewerage plants at Pilot, Nanga and Kilimambogo to increase sewerage connection by 7,000 m³ (7 million litres) of sewer collection per day.

The project will also have THIWASCO put up a mini-hydroelectricity plant at their Thika reservoir that will help them generate their own electricity to reduce their internal power consumption by 20%. The sewer treatment plant, THIWASCO also plans to generate more electricity through biodigestors.

The projects will be implemented through the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA)

Eng. Joseph Kamau of AWWDA said that the visit was a follow-up on the implementation of Thika and Githunguri Water and Sanitation Improvement project that is estimated to cost about Ksh 18 Billion.

He said that he was pleased with the progress so far now that the project consultants had already started doing the designs in readiness for

“We are in the designs stage. We expect to complete the designs in October next year (2023) and from there we go to procurements of works which will last up to early 2024 where we shall have the contractor undertaking the construction works,” explained Eng. Kamau.