Cracks mark house walls near the Thwake Dam construction site in Makueni.
Makueni residents demand fair compensation and transparent assessments after reporting damage to homes and businesses from construction blasting.
A Thwake Dam protest drew residents to the Makueni construction site over compensation for alleged blasting damage. They say payments fall short of repair costs for homes and businesses affected between 2023 and 2024.
The demonstrators walked more than 10 kilometres from Mavindini town to the project site on November 6. They demanded fair payouts and greater transparency in the damage assessment process.
Some residents reported receiving Ksh12,000 or Ksh22,000, despite facing much higher repair bills. Others said the damage forced them to leave their homes or suspend business operations.
Thwake Dam protest highlights repair costs
One resident said he received Ksh22,000 but spent more than Ksh70,000 repairing his house. He argued that the payout offered little relief because his expenses far exceeded the compensation.
Meanwhile, a landlord said he received Ksh12,000 for damage that a builder estimated would cost Ksh147,000 to repair. The estimate included work on a damaged toilet and cracked walls.
Residents also questioned how assessors measured the damage and selected people for compensation. They want an explanation of the criteria used to calculate individual payments.
Some said repeated blasting caused cracks in their houses, while others reported damage to business premises. Although some residents have repaired their properties, others continue living in houses showing signs of structural damage.
Dam project approaches completion
The compensation dispute comes as the government advances the first phase of the Thwake Multipurpose Water Development Programme. Construction is about 94 per cent complete, with water storage expected to begin around January 2027.
Full commissioning, meanwhile, remains targeted for April 2027 following an additional Ksh10.6 billion funding injection supported by the African Development Bank.
