We’re victims too, says Solai dam owner Perry Mansukh

The owner of the ill-fated Solai dam, which collapsed on May 9, killing 47 people and injuring hundreds of others, yesterday sought to absolve himself from blame over the tragedy and, instead, portrayed himself as a victim.

Mr Perry Mansukh, General Manager of Patel Coffee Estates, declared that the deaths of the 47 people had drained him emotionally and “saddened him tremendously.”

“We are the victims and not the perpetrators (of the dam collapse). The deaths hit us extremely hard as the affected community is dear to me,” he said when he appeared before the ad hoc committee of the Senate that is investigating the accident.

LEGITIMATE VICTIMS

Mr Mansukh, who is facing manslaughter charges over the deaths, told the committee chaired by Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr that the collapse was caused by massive deforestation “in other people’s farms” and by people farming on the hills overlooking the dam.

However, the assertion by Mr Mansukh angered committee members, who challenged him to demonstrate his love for the people and explain what he had done to help the community recover from the harrowing events.

Nominated Senator Sylvia Kassanga challenged him to explain whether he had visited victims of the tragedy and what he had done to alleviate their suffering. She also asked him to explain whether he made attempts to confirm the names in the list submitted to him as legitimate victims.

NOT LICENSED

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja  accused Mr Mansukh of having no respect for the laws of the land and challenged him to provide proof that commercial activities he carries out on his farm were duly approved through the necessary licensing regime.

“How is the law dear to you?” Mr Sakaja asked, in what appeared to be a jibe directed at Mr Mansukh’s assertion that the people of Solai and the environment were dear to him.

“Your claim that all your activities have been licensed is contested by various government agencies,” he said, and asked Mr Mansukh to provide proof that his dam was licensed. When Water CS Simon Chelugui appeared before the committee, he said that the collapsed dam was an illegal structure as it was not licensed.

RESTRICTED ACCESS

Mr Sakaja further asked Mr Mansukh to confirm whether he had compensated the victims of the tragedy and if he had asked them to sign indemnity forms that protected him from criminal liability. Mr Mansukh denied claims that he had already compensated the affected families but said that being part of the Solai community, he had offered a token of goodwill as a gesture to help the families restore their immediate requirement.

Officials of National Environmental Management Authority (Nema), National Construction Authority (NCA) and Water Resources Management Authority (Warma) have separately told the committee that the owners of the land had restricted access which had hampered their ability to perform their mandates.

Warma also accused Mr Mansukh of blocking two rivers on the farm and diverting water to the seven dams on the farm.