On October 29, 2026, an 84 meter high roller compacted concrete gravity dam on the Mwachi River in Kwale County, Kenya, was nearing its top. During the inspection, Eric Mugaa, the Minister of Water Resources, Health and Irrigation of Kenya, confirmed that 94% of the flagship water conservancy project with an investment of 45 billion Kenyan shillings has been completed. The project is constructed by China Electric Power Construction and is the first roller compacted concrete gravity dam in East Africa, with a storage capacity of 136 billion liters. After completion, it will provide a daily water supply of 186 million liters, benefiting over 1.6 million residents in Mombasa and Kwale counties.

The completion of the first RCC dam in East Africa

The Mwachi Dam is located on the Mwachi River about 22 kilometers west of Mombasa, with a crest length of 530 meters. It is a core project of Kenya's coastal water security strategy. The project will receive $255 million in infrastructure financing from the World Bank's IDA, and an additional $40 million from the Kenyan government for compensation and resettlement of affected populations. After completion, it will cover Mombasa and Kwale counties, support 1000 acres of irrigated area, and benefit over 2000 farmers. The Kenyan Minister of Water Resources also pointed out during the inspection that the dam itself is nearing completion, but financing for supporting infrastructure such as water pipelines still needs to be accelerated. The current bottleneck of the project has shifted from dam construction to supporting water transmission and distribution systems.

Extension of Water Supply Chain through Water Plant Contract

China Electric Power Construction's role in the Mwachi project does not stop at the main body of the dam. On September 18, 2026, China Power Construction and Kenya Coastal Water Authority officially signed a contract for the Mombasa Mwachi Water Plant and its ancillary engineering project, with a designed processing capacity of 186000 cubic meters per day. The construction includes a raw water pump station, water treatment plant, and sludge treatment facilities, adjacent to the Mwachi Dam. After the completion of the project, it will form a complete water storage, treatment, and transportation system together with the Mwachi Dam, water pipelines, and subsequent water distribution facilities. This means that China Electric Power Construction has taken on the responsibility of the dam and water plant in the Mwachi water cluster, but the water pipeline contract has been separately signed by the Kenyan government. The equipment procurement for the water plant project and the pipeline project belong to different entities and different rhythms. Keywords: Infrastructure News Network, Infrastructure, Water Conservancy Dams

The device window is constantly changing

94% progress means that the procurement of core links such as roller compacted concrete pouring, gate opening and closing machines, and dam crest structures has been completed, and the bulk equipment procurement window for the dam body has been basically closed. The Mwachi Water Plant is currently the only Chinese enterprise supporting window in the early stage of construction. The water plant was just signed in September 2026, and the design, procurement, and construction are still in the initial stage. The core equipment categories include grilles, sedimentation tank scrapers, filter systems, dosing systems, pump sets, sludge dewatering equipment, and automation control systems. The water pipeline project will be separately signed by the Kenyan government, and China Electric Power Construction will not lead its equipment procurement. Enterprises with large-diameter pipes, valves, and flow meters should follow the pipeline bidding announcement of the Kenya Coastal Water Authority. The equipment window on the dam has been closed, the equipment window in the water plant has just opened, and the order for the water pipeline is in another contract on another table.Editor/Gao Xue