The ongoing construction of the Kariminu II multibillion dam is set to suffer a major hitch after jobless residents vowed to paralyse works.
The Kiriko, Buchana, Gathanji and Kanyoni villagers on Monday accused the contractor, Avic International Holding Corporation of hiring workers from other counties and ignoring them. The Chinese firm is in charge of the Sh24 billion project.
The residents have demanded they be hired if the project has to continue. They threatened to march to the site to stop operations and eject nonlocals who have been hired as drivers, mechanics, plumbers, technicians and casuals.
They said they were promised 70 per cent of job slots by local leaders before the construction works commenced — a promised they say was not fulfilled.
“Our leaders, as well as the contractor, have taken us for a ride. They promised to hire us because we are the most affected people by the project. We thought we would benefit from the jobs to help us make ends meet. But we were wrong. This is unfair and we won’t allow it,” Allan Gitau said.
They claimed they had been interviewed by the contractor, only to find out later that outsiders had been hired through the backdoor.
"We've attended countless interviews at the company, only to be told we'll be called later. However, the contractor brings in non-locals from other regions to take up our jobs. We will kick them out until our plight is addressed,” Moses Githinji said.
However, a company official who requested anonymity said they have hired hundreds of residents and plans are underway to hire more as the project gains momentum.
“Those hired from outside are technicians whom we could not find here so we had to recruit those qualified from other areas. They should not panic because we will hire more as demand to satisfy our workforce grows,” the official said.
But the irate residents accused the company’s human resource department of taking bribes to give jobs to nonlocals. They said they have information that an MCA from Kitui county got several people from his ward employed.
"They think we're not aware of what is going on, but we are. It’s disheartening to import workers from other regions while leaving us grappling with joblessness,” Githinji added.
They appealed to local leaders, particularly MP Anne Wanjiku, to help them secure jobs, saying the project is god-send and should help them get out of poverty.
During a site visit before the commencement of construction works last month, Water CS Simon Chelugui urged the contractor to employ residents.
The construction had stalled for months following a standoff pitting displaced residents against the government over payouts. The state compensated some 246 families for their 171.6 acres paving the way for the commencement of the project. They got Sh1.28 billion.
The project is being funded by the government and the China Exim Bank and is being implemented through a joint venture between International Holding Corporation (AVIC) and Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (SMEDI).
The dam will be built on 600 acres and was scheduled to take 36 months to be completed, with construction set to end by December 2020. The contract was signed in May 2017.
Upon completion, the dam will have a height of 59 metres and a 26.5 billion-litre volume. It will produce 70 million water per day. Kiambu residents will be the major beneficiaries. Eighty per cent of the water will be supplied to Thika, Juja and Ruiru constituencies. The remaining 20 per cent will be channelled to Nairobi county.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
