30/12/2025
National Irrigation Authority (NIA) CEO, Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS and Ms. Du Shan, Deputy General Manager China Communications Construction Company Limited Kenya, today signed a contract for the engineering, procurement, construction and financing of the Athi Dam ( Galana), including its associated irrigation water conveyance system.
Today's contract signing signifies a direct response to the Government’s commitment to lowering the cost of living and achieving national food security by transitioning from rain-fed to irrigation-based agriculture.
As a critical infrastructure project designed to anchor the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project in Tana River and Kilifi Counties, the Athi Dam will serve as the engine for one of the nation’s most transformative agricultural initiatives.
This signing grants technical teams the immediate mandate to establish a base within the 1.75 million-acre Galana and Kulalu ranches, where they will conduct essential groundwork, rigorous evaluations and construction to ensure the dam effectively leverages the substantial water resources of the Athi/Galana River system.
Conceptualized as a massive reservoir with a capacity of 305 million cubic meters, the dam is expected to deliver an annual average of one billion cubic meters of water, facilitating the irrigation of up to 300,000 acres for at least two cropping seasons per year. Furthermore, the project will provide safe drinking water to 70,000 people directly supporting the BETA goals of affordable energy and improved healthcare through enhanced sanitation.
Beyond its primary function of water storage, the project is set to transform the coastal region into a vibrant Agri-industrial-park, featuring integrated infrastructure such as roads, power and logistics alongside state-of-the-art primary and final processing facilities.
By modeling a center that reduces post-harvest losses and aggregates production, the initiative will catalyze the manufacturing sector through value addition, while simultaneously supporting vital social infrastructure including schools, housing and health centers for the local community. Once completed, the Athi Dam and the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project will stand as a cornerstone of Kenya’s agricultural transformation optimizing crop, livestock and fish production to significantly contribute to national food security.
This holistic approach will drive the country toward a sustainable future, enhancing agri-processing capabilities and creating thousands of jobs for Kenyan youth, thereby fulfilling the promise of economic inclusion and prosperity for all.
