Azimio la Umoja Leader Raila Odinga, on Thursday, May 11, launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto, claiming his administration contributed to stalled projects in the Nyanza region.
Raila claimed the Head of State was subtly diverting money for the projects to other activities in different parts of the country.
While addressing the residents of Kisumu County, Raila singled out the Ksh20 billion Koru-Soin Multi-purpose Dam, which he alleged had stalled despite money being allocated to finance its development.
"In last year's budget, they allocated Ksh1.5 billion for phase one of the project. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the contractor had reported to the site at Koru-Soin Dam, that contractor was withdrawn by this government," Raila claimed.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader also claimed that the funds, allocated by Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration, were misappropriated.
"Money that was earmarked for this project was diverted to other projects," Raila stated as he warned of unspecified consequences.
Raila further wondered why Koru-Soin Dam was not recently listed by President Ruto for construction, yet, its design, tender process and commissioning were completed except for the release of finances.
"The Nyando Dam and Koru-Soin Dams must be put back into the budget because the people of this region are part of Kenya and equally taxpayers," Raila stated.
The former Prime Minister visited victims of floods in Nyando Constituency in Kisumu County, where he distributed food and castigated the government for ignoring the plight of the residents.
Accompanying Raila to the food distribution event, Kisumu County Governor Professor Anyang' Ny'ong'o revealed that his administration had allocated Ksh200 million for the project that stalled mid-way.
The dam is expected to have a 100 million cubic meters capacity and is intended to serve several purposes, including irrigation, water supply, hydropower generation, and flood control.
The Koru-Soin Dam project had been in the works for several years and has received nationwide praise and criticism in equal measures.
Supporters argue that the dam will provide much-needed water for irrigation and domestic use in the region, and generate clean energy to boost economic development.
On the other hand, opponents argue that the dam will have adverse environmental and social impacts, including displacement of communities, loss of wildlife habitat, and changes to the river ecosystem.
The project was being implemented by the Kenyan government, with funding support from the World Bank and the French Development Agency.
Its construction, expected to commence in 2020, was hampered by, among other issues, the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2023, Irrigation Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi, stated that the construction of the Ksh20 billion dam would start in March of the same year.
Ksh2.2 billion, he stated, would be to settle 1,100 people and purchase 455 land parcels for its use. compensation documentation was reportedly processed by National Land Commission (NLC) pending the transfer of funds from the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority (NWHSA).
