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President William Ruto has tasked Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome to resolve the longstanding compensation dispute pitting the government and land owners surrounding Sh24 billion Karimenu II dam in Gatundu North, Kiambu county.

Ruto committed that the government will compensate the affected persons the Sh 4.2 billion they have been demanding from the government as compensation for their land and damages.

He instructed CS Wahome to fast-track the compensation process to ensure the affected locals are fully paid before the onset of predicted El Nino rains.

Speaking at Kamwangi market where he launched the drilling of a borehole to supply suffering Kamwangi residents with water, Ruto said the multi-billion project will be redesigned to feed locals with water following an outcry that water from the area is supplied elsewhere as they suffer from acute shortage.

He stated that his government has an elaborate plan to ensure that residents from the constituency are connected to the water grid to ease the challenges of fetching water from rivers that are kilometers away.

“I am aware there are land owners who have not been paid for ceding their parcels to facilitate the construction of Karimenu dam. We will pay them before they are expelled by the El Nino rain. Resolve the issues surrounding the dam and also ensure that locals benefit with water from the project,” Ruto told CS Wahome.

Ruto, at the same time, appealed to residents to allow the government to establish Ndarugu II dam which he said will further enhance his government’s water supply plan.

While the residents jeered him after the request, Ruto said the government will resolve all the underlying challenges hampering commencement of the project.

“I will come back so that we can have a conversation about the project. If there are challenges, we will resolve them. You cannot live without water and for that reason, we will engage you on the challenges therein. Please don’t demonstrate again over the project,” pleaded the Head of State.

The dam that has been surrounded with controversy has been met with huge opposition by area residents who have declined to cede their land to pave way for its implementation.