President William Ruto on Sunday, January 14, announced that he would jet out to Italy later this month to seek funding for stalled water projects in the country.
Speaking during a church service in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Ruto explained that he would be travelling to Italy at the invite of President Sergio Mattarella.
Ruto remarked that he would be seeking investors to resuscitate the stalled Arror and Kimwarer dams in Elgeyo Marakwet and Itare Dam in Nakuru County.
“As leaders here have said, on how the county will move forward. We have spoken about roads and water projects which have stalled in this area,” he explained the need to look for investors.
“I spoke to the President of Italy where the investors came from and I will travel there this month.”
Ruto revealed that during his trip he would be accompanied by Governors Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Susan Kihika (Nakuru).
The Head of State remarked that the delegation was informed of the physical location of the stalled dams.
On December 2023, former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich was acquitted of the Ksh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer dam case that had caused the collapse of the project.
The CS alongside eight others had been charged with conspiracy to defraud Ksh63 billion meant for the construction of the multi-purpose dams.
"All the accused persons, in this case, are whereby acquitted under section 201 due to lack of evidence as a result of the reckless dereliction of duty by the prosecution," the court ruled then.
The plan to bring back the Italian investors was put in motion in March 2023 by President William Ruto.
"We have further committed, in good faith, to re-establish cooperation on the construction of Arror, Kimwarer, and Itare dams and other water and sanitation projects which are critical to our agenda on food security and climate action,” he stated then.
The investors have agreed to advance Kenya over Ksh14 billion towards the completion of the projects.
