‘Gatundu North is not ready to become a sea’ – furious MP opposes Ruto’s dam project
Gatundu North Member of Parliament (MP) Elijah Njoroge Kururia now says his constituency is not ready to become a sea and the government should find alternative areas to put up dam projects.
Kururia, who spoke to a local television station, vehemently opposed the decision to construct the Ksh13 billion Ndarugu II dam at Gatei, Mwimuto, Gathaiti, Watathi and Kanjuku villages. The government hopes to use the dam in drought mitigation and boost water supply to Kiambu and Nairobi counties.
He took issue with the government for failing to complete other development projects in the constituency such as the Thika-Magumu road which has stalled since its construction began four years ago, the establishment of a land registry, and law court among other government services that the area lacks.
Further, the legislator decried that his constituents have been grappling to find water for not only domestic use but also for irrigation of their crops.
“It is sad that a Ksh24 billion dam was built at Gituamba ward yet residents there and the entire constituency are struggling with acute water shortage. It’s further disturbing that instead of giving my constituents alternative water sources, the government is now adamant on building another project," Kururia said.
He took issue with Water Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alice Wahome and a section of Kiambu MPs for allegedly chest-thumping and imposing the multi-billion project on the people, insisting on his readiness to fight the project which he says will disorganize his area of representation and oversee unnecessary relocation of his constituents.
Kururia made the remarks days after a section of Kiambu legislators met Wahome and vowed to help persuade hostile landowners who have unwaveringly refused to cede their parcels for the project.
"If the water minister wants the dam built, let it be done in her constituency (Kandara) and if there is another MP who wants the same project done, let it be done in their respective constituencies," he added.
In his statement, the lawmaker lamented that Athi Water Services, the government agency implementing the project failed to complete the projects it had promised to do during the construction of the Karimenu II dam including the digging of fifteen boreholes as alternative water sources for locals and roads surrounding the water body.
"Gatundu North and all people have agreed that the constituency is not ready to become a sea. We have Karimenu II dam that is less than two kilometres from where the government proposed to build Ndarugu II dam," Kururia, who claimed CS Wahome had failed to convince locals to embrace the project, stated.
