Deputy President William Ruto assured Elgeyo Marakwet residents that he will overturn President Uhuru Kenyatta's cancellation of the controversial Ksh66 billion Arror and Kimwarer dam projects if elected into office.
The DP who spoke at a rally on Monday, June 25, stated that he was determined not only to provide clean water in the county but also to fulfil his promise to the constituents.
“We are indebted to you. Uhuru Kenyatta and I stood here and promised to construct the dams. Unfortunately, criminal elements and political cartels stalled the Kimwarer and Arror projects,” remarked DP Ruto.
“This project would benefit the people of Baringo, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Turkana counties. We are going to construct the dams if elected into office," he added.
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 was after he received a report on the two dam projects from the technical committee he formed following the discovery of irregularities and improprieties surrounding the contractors.
Investigators ascertained that the Ksh28 billion Kimwarer Dam was found to have been overpriced and the project was neither technically nor financially viable.
Ksh38 billion Arror Dam project was stated to be economically viable but also overpriced.
Ruto's critics have constantly used the scandals surrounding the two infrastructure projects to allege that he is corrupt and unfit to succeed Uhuru.
They claimed that Ruto was involved in the embezzlement of funds through proxies after his ally, former Cabinet Secretary for Treasury Henry Rotich, was arrested over the scandals.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, however, cleared Ruto's name stating that his office has never received any evidence directly or indirectly implicating the DP in the dams scandal.
Haji, nonetheless, noted that since the matter was still in court, his office would welcome any evidence deemed appropriate.
Meanwhile, the DP while touring Elgeyo Marakwet County vowed to invest in the manufacturing sector as entrenched in the Big Four Agenda.
Particularly, he underscored the importance of reviving textile industries in Kenya in a bid to make the country self-reliant in clothes and shoe production.
“We will no longer import shoes. Instead, we will leverage o the locally available skin to manufacture our own shoes using the skills of the youth and in collaboration with the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVETS) centers."
Ruto further rallied the Rift Valley voting block to turn out in large numbers to vote him into office.
