The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced plans to interrogate three Cabinet Secretaries regarding the allocation of a 65 billion shilling dam construction contract to an Italian firm with a poor financial rating. The investigation centers on the 2019 contracts for the Kimwarer and Arror dams, as well as the abandoned Itare Dam project in Nakuru County, all awarded to CMC di Ravenna.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa, and Water CS Simon Chelugui are among those set to face questioning. The DCI also plans to summon all past and present principal secretaries involved in the project's inception, along with David Kimosop, managing director of the Kerio Valley Development Authority, who signed the Arror and Kimwarer dam agreements.
Investigators are scrutinizing how CMC di Ravenna, rated 'CC' by Standard and Poor’s for high financial vulnerability, secured the contract. The firm received Sh7 billion upfront but failed to commence work on the dams, prompting allegations of mismanagement. A total of Sh21 billion has been disbursed to the company and an Italian insurance firm, according to the National Treasury.
The case has sparked internal divisions within the Jubilee Party, with allies of Deputy President William Ruto accusing investigators of targeting political opponents. CMC di Ravenna acknowledged in 2019 experiencing cash-flow challenges and inability to repay maturing loans, further complicating the project's legitimacy.
