This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered the cancellation of the Kimwarer Dam project, a move that could save taxpayers billions of shillings already paid to contractors.
The decision was made after a technical team, chaired by Principal Secretary for Infrastructure Paul Maringa, reviewed the project and found it to be neither technically nor financially viable.
The team's report, handed to President Kenyatta on September 18, 2019, revealed that no reliable feasibility study was conducted on the Kimwarer project before its construction.
According to the report, a feasibility study carried out on a similar project 28 years ago revealed a geological fault across the 800-acre project area, which could have had negative structural effects on the dam.
The team also found that the water supply mechanism would involve pumping, an aspect they found to be unsustainable in terms of operations and maintenance costs.
Attention now shifts to the Sh19 billion said to have been paid in advance in connection with the Kimwarer and Arror dams.
The CMC di Ravenna has denied being part of negotiations that led to the payments, dimming recovery prospects.
However, the committee gave the Arror Multipurpose Dam Project a thumbs up, saying it is economically viable despite being overpriced.
The committee recommended a cost rationalisation plan to ensure the project is implemented cost-effectively without affecting its performance and output.
The optimised dam will be technically viable, requiring only about 250 acres of land and costing Sh15.4 billion with power and Sh13.1 billion without power.
The dam's height will be scaled down to 60 metres from the original design height of 96 metres, which was found to be unviable.
The committee also established that the project area around proposed Kimwarer Dam is settled and would require compensation of displaced residents.
Both projects in Kerio Valley region were meant to produce electricity and boost irrigated agriculture.
