Governor defends Sh6bn water tunnel

The controversy over a Sh6.8 billion project meant to increase water supply in Nairobi heightened on Tuesday after leaders from Murang’a hit out at Cord leader Raila Odinga, accusing him of using the project to endear himself to central Kenya.

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria — who accompanied Water CS Eugene Wamalwa to the site where construction work is going on — said Mr Odinga’s remark over the water tunnel worth billions was the opposition leader’s way of seeking entry in central Kenya.

He said Mr Odinga was portraying himself as the saviour of people from the region.

According to him, the Opposition was planning to hold a rally in Murang’a and Eldoret and Mr Odinga’s statement on Monday was meant to prepare ground.

Mr Odinga had questioned the project, partly funded by the World Bank, saying it would cause desertification in parts of central Kenya and in counties where the River Tana traverses.

He also questioned the alleged secrecy under which the project was being carried out, claiming that wananchi in the region had not been consulted before the project was implemented.

On Tuesday, however, Mr wa Iria asked why Mr Odinga had remained silent on the issue yet the project was started a long time ago. He told Mr Odinga to stop politicising all projects.

“When Raila was the Prime Minister he never provided or talked about water for Murang’a people,” said the governor.

“He is trying to prepare ground for the Murang’a rally as he knows with no agenda, the reception will be zero.”

“Why now yet it has always been there, more so a few months to the General Election?” asked Mr wa Iria.

However, Mr Odinga, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Mr Dennis Onyango, said the governor had failed to address the issues that he had raised and had instead gone on a personal attack.

“Governor wa Iria should stop being a coward and stand up for the survival of his people,” Mr Odinga’s statement said.

“Their livelihoods are in total danger. This is what must be his only priority, not pandering to selfish political and commercial interests.”

Mr Odinga said that in June last year, leaders from Murang’a County, including Senator Kembi Gitura and County Assembly Speaker Nduati Kariuki, had opposed the project and had demanded that it must be stopped.

A day earlier, Mr Odinga had said that the project was being implemented in secrecy.

On Tuesday, Mr wa Iria said there was no secrecy and that the tunnel will not interfere with the ecosystem. He said that the World Bank cannot fund a project that would impact negatively on the environment.

“We were not opposed to the project; all we wanted was clarification and when we got the answers we were satisfied, so Raila is only making political noise,” said the governor.

Mr Kariuki said that questions had been raised about the initial plan.

“The original plan was changed as the report said if the tunnel was implemented the way it was then, it would have had some serious negative impacts,” he said.

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said it was unfortunate that Mr Raila Odinga was “bringing politics” to a Vision 2030 project which he initiated while in government.

He denied claims that the project did not get clearance from Nema and produced the copy of a certificate he said was from the environmental authority.

“While this project is targeting to benefit Nairobi residents, we will take care of the residents of this region too,” he said in Makomboki, at the site of the project where he was joined by his Principal Secretary, Prof Fred Segor, Mr wa Iria, MP Moses Kuria and a section of regional leaders.

Mr Wamalwa said Kenya was a water scarce country which needs to work with development partners “and it is wrong to allow politics in such projects.”

Resident engineer Samuel Gitoho said the project was on course and would be completed in 2018.

And Prof Fred Segor said: “This project will be utilising flood water, which would otherwise have flowed to the Indian Ocean. We are thus maximising on the water that will be channelled to the dam and then redistributed to residents both here in Murang’a and in Nairobi County.”

NEMA ISSUED LICENCE

Documents seen by the Daily Nation indicate that the government paid Sh1.3 billion to the contractor of the Northern Collector Tunnel almost two years before the project was approved by Nema.

According to the documents, the contract was awarded to China Ghezouba Construction Company on September 1, 2014. The project had been designed by the end of 2013 and the tender calls for a contractor were published in March 2014.

Nema issued the licence for the construction of the tunnel on February 9, 2015 after the Athi Water Service Board submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment Study report.

The allegation that the contractor was paid and given the green light for the construction of the tunnel was one of the issues that Mr Odinga raised on Monday, when he asked the government to halt the construction work with immediate effect.

According to other documents, on August 3, 2015 the Athi Water Service Board Chief Executive Director Malaquen Milgo, in a letter to Mr Kamau, who was in charge of the works, suspended the works at the construction site for Phase One after the High Court issued an order to that effect.

“You are aware of the High Court proceedings relating to this project,” the letter said. “As an employer, I have been served through our lawyers, with a court order dated July 31, 2015, to stop the construction of this project pending the hearing and determination of the Motion in High Court.”