Kipsigis elders ask Raila to speak out on contentious dam

Cord leader Raila Odinga on Monday held a three-hour meeting with Kipsigis elders at a Kericho hotel as opposition to the construction of a Sh34 billion dam grows.

This came as Mr Odinga’s allies said their leader was targeting votes in Rift Valley, Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi.

The meeting at Exotic Hotel, which came a day after Deputy President William Ruto presided over a fundraising in the area, is likely to generate political heat in the Jubilee stronghold.

Former Nyanza Provincial Commissioner Isaiah Cheluget and other elders asked Mr Odinga to help stop the construction of Itare Dam, a key Jubilee project.

Residents fear the dam, to be established in the Mau water tower, will turn the region into a desert.

“Our leaders, including the governor, MPs and MCAs have done nothing to stop the project,” Mr Cheluget said.

He said it was only a leader of Mr Odinga’s stature who could rally residents to stop the project.

Mr Cheluget cited the recent intervention by Mr Odinga in the construction of the Sh6.8 billion tunnel in Murang’a County.

Just like Kericho residents, people in Murang’a County fear the tunnel, which is meant to provide water to Nairobi, will turn their region into a desert.

Mr Odinga declined to speak to journalists when he left the meeting directing them to Mr Cheluget.

The elders say seven rivers, which flow across Kericho, Bomet and Narok counties into Lake Victoria, will dry up as the water will be diverted to Nakuru and Baringo counties.

Reports that rivers Ndoinet, Songol, Chemosit, Tariganbei, Kipsonoi, Nyongores and Sondu would dry have made the project unpopular among the residents.

Mr Odinga lost his support in the region following the 2008 eviction of thousands of families from Mau Forest when he was Prime Minister.

On Sunday, Mr Odinga reconciled the Luo and Nandi communities during a peace meeting at Kibigori on the Kisumu-Nandi border.

During the event, Nandi elders Nashon Bitok and Dickens Karoney gave Mr Odinga the go-ahead to work with Kanu chairman Gideon Moi and Chama cha Mashinani leader Isaac Ruto.

In Kisumu, MPs John Mbadi (Suba), Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay Woman Representative) said ODM had crafted a formula to deny President Uhuru Kenyatta votes in some Jubilee strongholds.