This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
Published on September 27, 2019
Residents of Elgeyo Marakwet County have resisted President Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to terminate the construction of the Sh22.2 billion Kimwarer dam. The residents, through a petition tabled by Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, want the Senate to annul the President's decision, terming it illegal.
The petitioners argue that the technical committee constituted to probe the feasibility of the dam was not properly established. They also question the ethnic composition of the technical team, which they claim went against public service guidelines.
Senator Murkomen has been a vocal opponent of the decision to cancel the Kimwarer dam contract. He has argued that the President's directive should be suspended until the petition is heard and determined.
Uhuru cancelled the project after a committee found that the dam was overpriced and neither technically nor financially viable. The committee established that no reliable feasibility study had been conducted on the dam project.
Senator Fatuma Dulo has asked the President to reconsider his decision and allow the project to continue. Siaya Senator James Oronge has also supported the petition.
