Farmers counting losses as contractor bury crops
Farmers from Kanjuku village in Gatundu North are counting huge losses after heaps of soil dumped at a nearby school eroded to their farms.
The soil that is being sourced from Karimenu II dam water treatment plant was initially meant to level the school’s playfield but has turned into a disaster to farmers had planted their crops on along the riverbeds of Riumba river.
Through siltation, the soil, they said, has been burying their arrowroots, kales, sugarcanes among other crops causing them untold damages.
According to them, the problem started in December last year when sizable rains fell in the area causing erosion of soil to their lowlands.
While the farmers were expecting a bumper harvest, most of them said they were forced to harvest nothing as their crops are now under the destructive soil.
Led by Margret Nduiye, the residents claimed that an environment impact assessment exercise was not done to ascertain the extent of the damage that would be caused by the dumping exercise.
They said that the school management had promised to put up a retaining wall to block siltation from happening but has been dragging despite them making numerous complaints over massive damages they have continued to suffer.
Furious that their grievances have been hitting a snag, the farmers added that the river streams they have been drawing water from are also at the verge of being buried, putting their lives and those that use the water downstream at risk.
Rose Wangui, a farmer who has been depending on arrowroots farming all her life said she has suffered a loss of more than Sh 30,000. 
"Am now in a dilemma. I have been feeding and educating my children from this farm which no longer make any produce. This soil is not only disastrous but also a silent killer," said Wangui.
As long rains approach, Wangui expressed fear that her remaining crops will not be spared, throwing her into more losses.
They cited a possibility of food shortage in the area in the coming months and thereby called on the government to intervene to avert a crisis.
However, speaking off camera, the school's principal said that Avic International, the contractor for Karimenu II dam, committed to construct the wall after leveling the soil.
Already, the school head said the contractor has commenced compacting the soil and cutting the slope of the soil to lower erosion gradient.
He said that the school requested for the soil to facilitate plantation of grass as the institution did not have a habitable play field before.
