This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On September 20, 2019, the government made a significant move by cancelling the construction of the Kimwarer Dam in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, a project marred by corruption.
However, this decision should be followed by more severe sanctions against those responsible for the scandal. The government has already paid a hefty sum of Sh20 billion as part-compensation for the twin projects of Kimwarer and Arror dams.
Specifically, for Kimwarer, the government incurred about Sh9 billion in down payment, commitment fees, and insurance. This is a significant amount of money that has been lost due to corruption.
The individuals who negotiated the deal, approved the payments, or were involved in the scam in any way must be held accountable and punished.
Former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, his Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge, and other top government officials have been charged with the offence. However, the search for their suspected accomplices must be extended.
The dam scandal is one of the most egregious of our times, and its masterminds must face the full force of the law.
Evidence from the technical committee appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta into the swindle is damning. The committee found that Kimwarer was to be built without a feasibility study, despite the last study being conducted in the early 1990s.
Even so, the studies exposed geological risks in the area, including a fault line that cannot sustain such a project. Despite this, some individuals pursued the project, and it appears that the intention was not to build a dam but to use the plan as a conduit to steal public money.
Although President Kenyatta cancelled the Kimwarer Dam project, he approved the construction of Arror Dam at a considerably reduced cost. However, given the deception that has characterised the two projects, it is incumbent on the team to take extreme caution to avert another scandal.
