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Uhuru takes Margaret on evening visit to scenic Gatundu North project [Photos]

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta made a visit to the Karimenu II dam in Gatundu North Constituency.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta made a visit to the Karimenu II dam in Gatundu North Constituency.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta made a visit to the Karimenu II dam in Gatundu North Constituency.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta made a visit to the Karimenu II dam in Gatundu North Constituency.

Kenyatta was accompanied by former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Mama Ngina Kenyatta.

According to a report seen by the news desk, the former head of state explored the dam project on Tuesday, December 19.

The three arrived at the dam site at precisely 5:10 p.m. and took time to inspect the dam intake towers and the spillway.

The trio spent over an hour at the dam site, engaging with officials and local representatives.

The former president and his companions left the Karimenu II Dam premises at 6:24 p.m., concluding the visit without any reported incidents.

Uhuru's secret visit to Karimenu that went viral

On July 2021, the country woke up to a trending photo of a casually dressed Kenyatta sharing a moment with three unidentified Kenyans in the most unusual manner.

The photo showed President Kenyatta posing with three residents, who from the look of their clothes, were tending their farm deep in the rural areas.

The news desk was able to trace the photo to Gatundu North where the head of state was on a secret trip on Monday, July 12.

President Kenyatta had gone to personally inspect the progress of a project in Karimenu when he decided to pop into the home of Damaris Karago Kabura’s sister.

Wee Uhuru alikua kwetu. That's my sister and her daughter. He popped in on Monday and went to the China power project at Kariminu River in Gatundu North. Our place being a kind of ka-island had been neglected so much.

The KPLC had always shied away from connecting us to the main grid until this China project came by. We were the first beneficiaries,” she explained.

Damaris narrated that her family members did not immediately recognise President Kenyatta who was wearing a safari hat and a mask.

Karimenu II Dam plays a crucial role in providing water resources to the surrounding areas, contributing significantly to agricultural and domestic needs.

This Sh24 billion project was among the last flagship projects Kenyatta commissioned in the last days of his tenure on August 1, 2022.

The project was built to benefit more than 1.1 million residents of Gatundu, Ruiru, Juja, and parts of Nairobi with clean water supply.

It consists of a 59m high dam across Karimenu River, 73 million liters per day water treatment plant, 55km of water transmission pipelines, and two water storage tanks in Ruiru and Juja.

Construction works began in May 2019 and were substantially completed by May 2022.

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