At the beginning of 2022, the first phase of the dam project of the Swak Multi-purpose Water Conservancy Development Project, the largest water conservancy and people's livelihood project under construction in Kenya, undertaken by the China Energy Construction Gezhouba Group, was successfully closed.

On the afternoon of December 31, 2021, local time, dump trucks loaded with earth and rock materials drove from the stockyard to the cofferdam and embankment. The sound of reeling was endless, busy and orderly. As the most difficult point of the first-stage cofferdam construction task, the construction difficulty of the upstream cofferdam is much greater than that of the downstream cofferdam and longitudinal cofferdam. The swift waters of the Swak River kept eroding the edge of the newly filled cofferdam, and the large blocking stones that had just been thrown down were quickly submerged by the river. On the day of the closure, all the equipment was turned on together. The swinging excavator's mechanical arm dropped blocks of blocking stones into the dragon's mouth, and carts of soil and rock aggregates were dumped in a cycle. Bulldozers, loaders, and road rollers cooperated in the operation. While strengthening the filled cofferdam, the builders accelerated the closure and closure of Longkou.

After more than three hours of continuous fighting, with the order of the on-site interception commander, the last truck of stones was discharged into Longkou. For the first time in history, the Asi River was intercepted, and the turbulent water turned to the diversion tunnel. The crowd was full of joy and applause, celebrating the completion of the river closure. This marks that the project has officially entered a new stage of comprehensive construction of the main dam project.

Zhang Yijun, Minister Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, witnessed the whole process of dam closure, congratulated on the successful closure of the dam, expressed cordial condolences to the project staff for their hard work and best wishes for the new year.

The Deputy Minister of Water Resources of Kenya, Joseph Irungu, sent a congratulatory letter to congratulate the successful closure of the project, and expressed his heartfelt gratitude and high respect for the outstanding contribution of the Chinese builders to Kenya's social and economic development. The closure of the project is a key node in the construction of the Swaker dam, which is of great significance and is a prerequisite for the smooth construction of the main body of the dam. I hope that the builders of China and Kenya will go all out to successfully complete the main body and remaining projects under the premise of ensuring safety, and realize the project completion on schedule.

As the largest water conservancy and livelihood project in Kenya to date, the Swak Multipurpose Water Conservancy Development Project is an important infrastructure project in Kenya's 2030 clean energy plan. After the project is completed, it will be used for main functions such as water supply, flood control, irrigation, and power generation. At the same time, it can provide about 1 billion cubic meters of water every year, which has an irreplaceable effect on ensuring the safety of water supply in many nearby areas, improving the water ecological environment of the downstream river section, and developing characteristic and efficient agriculture.Editor/Ma Xue