Raila Odinga urges Murang’a leaders to face truth on water project

Raila fired back, accusing the governor of avoiding the substantive issues and instead concentrating on personal attacks on him.

"Governor Iria should stop being a coward and stand up for the survival of his people. Their livelihoods are in total danger. This is what must be his only priority, not pandering to selfish political and commercial interests," Raila said.

Yesterday, Water CS Eugene Wamalwa visited the site of the Northern Collector Water Tunnel (NCWT) project in Murang'a designed to boost water supply to Nairobi and declared it would continue despite protests by the Opposition chief.

Under the project, water in three rivers - Irati, Gikigie and Maragua - would be diverted at source to Ndakaini dam through a 11.8km long tunnel to boost supply to Nairobi by up to 140,000 cubic metres daily.

Raila has labelled the project "secret tunnels of death" warning that the disruption of water flow in the rivers that feed into River Tana could turn Murang'a, Garissa, Ukambani and Tana Delta regions into deserts.

Wa Iria further stated that the World Bank and the County Assembly had both given the project a clean bill of health.

LOCAL LEADERS

"Raila does not have facts on the project. He is just echoing what some local leaders have said in the press," Wa Iria said, drawing attention to the divisions among Murang'a leaders.

Among those who had expressed their opposition to the project was Murang'a Senator Kembi Gitura, who had raised questions on environmental impact and lamented that the rivers were the lifeline for Murang'a, where only 30 per cent of residents have access to clean water.

Wa Iria, who was accompanied by MCAs dismissed claims that Murang'a residents did not approve of the project.

"The people are not opposed to the project, all they needed was an assurance that they would also benefit from the project," he said.

The county chief further questioned the timing of Raila's protests, saying his concerns had little to do with the environmental impact of the project and were aimed at raising political temperatures in the country.

"There is no link between the environment and this issue. He (Raila) is trying to prepare the ground for his rally in Murang'a and if people know that he is fighting for their water issues, they will be more receptive to him," claimed wa Iria.

CORD, wa Iria added, was planning rallies in Murang'a and Eldoret, counties perceived as Jubilee strongholds, and needed an entry point.

But in a statement issued by his spokesman, Raila said: "The stand of the governor ignores the position that was taken by other leaders of Murang'a County on this issue," citing a meeting on June 22, 2015, by Senator Gitura and Speaker Nduati Kariuki at which they demanded it be halted.

Raila cited a report by the Water, Energy, Forestry, Environment, Natural Resources and Co-operative Management Committee of the Muranga County Assembly issued on December 22, 2014, criticising the project.

Among the findings, he said, was that only 33 per cent of the people of Murang'a had access to clean drinking water yet so much water was being taken from Murang'a to Nairobi.

Raila noted the report cautioned the project was going to compromise hydro-electric generation in the Seven Forks scheme and recommended that a new environmental impact assessment be conducted by the county government.

Other recommendations were that 40 per cent of all the water be left in Murang'a for use by the local people and that the amount of water taken from Murang'a be reduced to 50 per cent, he observed.

"The governor must also be aware that in the end, Kenya is one nation. An act that destroys one part of Kenya in the end pulls down the entire Kenyan nation. That remains Hon Raila Odinga's sole interest in this matter," the statement read.

The county assembly, however, later resolved the dispute and endorsed the project.

Yesterday, Wamalwa maintained that the government would go ahead with its plans, insisting that the project met all standards necessary.

He said all concerns raised by the community and leaders were addressed by international experts sourced from the World Bank, Germany and France who audited and certified the project as environmental-friendly.

FULLY BACKED

Speaking at Makomboki village when he inspected NWCT project, the CS said the Sh6.8 billion project had obtained certification of the National Environment Management Authority and was fully backed by Murang'a leaders.

"The report indicates that the project, to boost water supply to Nairobi at 140,000 cubic metres a day, had the backing of the county assembly through a resolution," he said.

Wamalwa said Murang'a residents will benefit with water schemes worth Sh4.4 billion, with three giant irrigation schemes worth Sh700 million.