Details of Ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy project: Karimenu II Dam
Over a year after stepping down as Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, alongside his wife, Margaret Kenyatta, revisited one of the impactful projects he initiated during his tenure.
Rare photos have surfaced, capturing the retired President inspecting the Karimenu II Dam in Gatundu North, Kiambu County.
In the images, Mr Kenyatta, dressed casually in jeans and a jacket, is seen closely examining the dam, displaying a hands-on approach to his legacy project.
Ms Margaret, standing alongside, observes the project with her hands behind her back. Another photo captures the couple leaning on the dam perimeter, attentively watching the flow of water.
The online community has taken note of the visit, with praise pouring in for Mr Kenyatta’s commitment to checking on the progress of the projects he set in motion.
Jubilee Party blogger and Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge shared the sentiment, quoting a Kikuyu proverb to express the former President’s dedication.
“Today, he went to check on Karimenu Dam…Remember…‘Ndímwiraga nie ngúúkíte kuona mítí iría ndahandire gúkú!’ – loosely translated from the Kikuyu statement as “will be telling you I had just come to check on the trees I planted here,” she wrote.
Acknowledging the quality of work, Oliver Cheruiyot, a user on the microblogging site X, praised Mr Kenyatta’s leadership and specifically mentioned another well-executed water project in Kericho.
Gerriey Wainaina on Facebook lauded the former head of state as “a leader who was passionate about helping our country.”
Mr Kenyatta served two terms from 2013 to 2022 under the Jubilee Party, with Dr William Ruto as his deputy.
The Karimenu Dam Water Supply Project, commissioned in August 2022, just before his retirement, is valued at Sh4.6 billion.
It comprises a 59-meter-high dam with a reservoir capacity of 26.4 million cubic meters, a water treatment plant, a 55km water transmission network, and two water storage tanks in Ruiru and Juja.
The dam serves residents of Ruiru, Juja, Githurai, Gatundu, and parts of Nairobi.