President William Ruto has renewed the Kenya Kwanza government’s promise to revive the controversial Sh63 billion Kimwarer and Arror dams in Elgeyo Marakwet county.

He said the two were among more than 1,000 dams lined up for construction and de-silting to address perennial water shortages and food insecurity.

“Najua kumekuwa na Kiswahili kuhusu Kimwarer na Arror dams (I know Arror and Kimwarer dams have had a lot of issues). I however assure you the two dams will be done to their full completion during my tenure,” said the President.

Ruto, who attended an interdenominational thanksgiving service in Kabarnet, Baringo county, accompanied by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, named other dam project set to be revived in the region as Perkei and Amaya in the area and Loiwat in Turkana county.

Former Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and former Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) managing director David Kimosop are facing corruption charges related to the two projects.

Rotich is accused of aiding a Sh11 billion irregular offshore payment to an Italian insurance firm to finance the two dams, triggering concerns about possible kickbacks to officials involved in the projects.

Rotich case

In court filings, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji  accuses Rotich of facilitating direct payment of the amount to Italy’s SACE Insurance contrary to the law, which requires that all payments are processed through the consolidated account in Kenya.

The case against the former Cabinet Secretary is before the High Court.

The Arror Dam in Marakwet West was to cost Sh38 billion while the Sh28 billion Kimwarer Dam in Keiyo South was earmarked to consume Sh28 billion.

The then President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed a team to review the two projects following the corruption allegations, with the task force finding that they were over-priced.

He allowed implementation of the Arror Dam at a reduced cost of Sh15.4 billion while the Kimwarer project was cancelled after it was found unviable by the technical committee, a move which sparked uproar in the region.

In 2019, then Deputy President Ruto sensationally claimed “only” Sh7 billion was lost in the controversial projects as opposed to Sh21 billion in question.

“You have heard that the government has lost Sh21 billion in Kimwarer and Arror dams which is a flat lie. The money in question is about Sh7 billion and for every coin that has been paid, we have a bank guarantee,” Ruto said then.

Lasting solution

The President yesterday also reiterated the government’s commitment to address famine in many parts of the country, with more than five million people facing starvation.

According to Ruto, the government had distributed more than six million bags of subsidised fertiliser to farmers during the short rains, which he said, was part of efforts to come up with a lasting solution to perennial famine.

Ruto said the banditry-prone Kerio Valley has a lot of potential in irrigation which he said if well harnessed will end cases of insecurity.

He declared war on bandits wreaking havoc in the North Rift region and reiterated his government’s commitment to address the menace.

“Whatever it takes, we will make sure we restore peace in the North Rift. We will not allow a few criminal elements to terrorise innocent civilians in the name of cattle rustling,” said Ruto.

“As a government, we have spelled out a clear plan to end banditry once for all.Waache hii kazi kwa hiari na kama hawataki kuwacha, watawacha kwa lazima (They should cease this illegal activity at will and if they are not ready, they will be forced to do so). There are no two ways about that,” said the President.

Fight bandits

He said more than 20 schools closed down as a result of runway insecurity in the region will soon be re-opened and provided with enough security, adding that thousands of people who have fled their homes will also be resettled.

Ruto lauded Tiaty MP William Kamket for promoting peace in the area.

“The people of Tiaty love peace. Let me deal with the few criminal elements. We will deal with them. It is not a matter of if but when they will stop,” said the President.

At least 170 people have been killed and thousands displaced from their homes in the past nine months in the banditry-prone counties in the North Rift.

He directed governors in the region to set aside land for affordable housing programme adding that in Baringo County alone, more than 10,000 affordable housing units will be built which, he said, will also create employment to more than 20,000 youth.

The President said the government was also in the process of reviving the cotton industry in the region after it secured a market for Bt-Cotton in the United States and urged farmers to take advantage of the deal.

He said a leather factory was also being built in Nakuru to benefit livestock farmers from the North Rift counties.

Gachagua praised the courts for allowing the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) to withdraw a Sh7.3 billion fraud case against him and nine others which he said was a clear indication that the suit against him was a fabrication.

“I have been vindicated. All the cases were political prosecution because of my stand to support William Ruto. Police have also confessed that they were working under instructions to fix me. As Kenya Kwanza, we will not take that route. We will not harass anybody on the basis of their political stand or inclinations,” said Gachagua.

Gideon’s backyard

President Ruto was accompanied by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa and senators Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) and William Cheptumo of Baringo.

Others were governors Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo) and Eric Mutai of Kericho.

Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malalah lauded Western Kenya for giving Kenya Kwanza what he said was close to one million votes in the August 9 presidential election.

“The ground is shifting in Western. We are solidly behind the Kenya Kwanza government and will support Ruto in implementing his manifesto,” said Malalah.

Ruto was touring former Baringo Senator Gideon Moi’s backyard for the first time since he was elected president.

Moi, who is the Kanu chairman, suffered a humiliating defeat after the Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA) clinched all elective seats in the county except Tiaty parliamentary constituency.

He lost the Senate seat to UDA’s William Cheptumo.