Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate William Ruto on Monday vowed to complete the construction of the Arror and Kimwarer dams if elected on August 9.
Speaking in Iten,Elgeyo Marakwet county, where he camped for his presidential campaigns, Ruto noted the benefit of the projects, which he asserted would benefit locals if implemented.
“With God’s grace, come August 9, we will continue with the construction of the two dams. These projects will help the residents get water for their livestock, irrigation and generation of electricity…I would like to challenge anybody who has a problem with Arror and Kimwarer to tell us what the problem is. What happened is political conmanship. If elected, I will continue with the project,” he said.
His remarks come a week after the Director of Public Prosecutions said he never received evidence of Ruto’s involvement in the dams scandal.
“As far as I am concerned and from where I am sitting, no evidence has been brought against him,” he said.
Raila Odinga, the Azimio presidential candidate, has repeatedly claimed that Ruto and his allies halted the multibillion-shilling project.
Raila promised to complete dam construction while campaigning in Elgeyo-Marakwet and West Pokot-Baringo counties on Thursday.
“We will construct Arror and Kimwarer as well as Muruny Siyoi dam so that there is enough water in the region for the residents, their cattle and irrigation,” he said.
In September 2019, Uhuru ordered the cancellation of the Kimwarer Dam project and immediate commencement of the implementation of the Arror Multipurpose Dam project with the new design components and cost rationalization plan.
This came after he received a report on the two dam projects from the technical committee he formed in the aftermath of the contractors’ irregularities and improprieties.
Investigators discovered that the Ksh28 billion Kimwarer Dam was overpriced and that the project was neither technically nor financially viable.
The Arror Dam project was said to be economically viable but also overpriced at Ksh38 billion.
