African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed loan and protocol grant agreements of $97 million and $120 million with the government of Kenya for construction of the Thwake multi-purpose dam and Outer Ring road projects respectively.
Under the Nairobi Outer Ring road project, the government will build service roads, grade separated intersections, foot-over bridges, walkways and cycle tracks along the road as well as improve the current single carriageway road to a two-lane dual carriageway.
Following the completion, the 13 kilometre project is expected to directly improve the traffic circulation and eliminate traffic interruptions to economic activity centres like the industrial zone, and the well populous residential areas of Eastlands.
Thwake Multi-purpose Water Development Program (TMWDP) includes construction of a multi-purpose dam for water supply, hydropower generation and irrigation development, while regulating flows on Athi River downstream of the dam for flood and drought reduction.
With the TMWDP, the government aims to improve productivity and livelihoods in the area for ten-years until 2023.
AfDB Eastern Africa Resource Centre (EARC) director Gabriel Negatu said, “These partnerships are informed both by the government’s priorities for economic development and our vision for Africa as the continent’s premier homegrown development financier.”