• NLC had gazetted 6,000 acres in Kerio Valley to be acquired from more than 1,000 families but commission officials have withdrawn from the region.
•The NLC was to negotiate for land purchase but the process stalled.
The National Land Commission has suspended compulsory land acquisition for the Arror and Kimwarer dam projects which are under investigations by DCI.
The NLC had gazetted 6,000 acres of land in Kerio Valley that was to be acquired from more than 1,000 families but officials from the commission have withdrawn from the region.
“The NLC team was here but they left a week ago without any word to the families that were to be displaced,” John Kimwatan an area resident said yesterday.
Before he left office last month, former NLC Chairman Muhammed Swazuri launched the land acquisition process in Kerio Valley where a team of more than 10 staff had been deployed to start implementing the plan.
The Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) which is the implementing agency for the project had also identified 11 parcels of land where the families were to be resettled in Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia.
The NLC was to negotiate for the purchase of the land but the process has also stalled.
KVDA chairman Jackson Kiptanui could not be reached for comment on the matter as his phones were off. Senior officials at KVDA declined to comment on the matter and CEO of the Authority David Kimosop was away from his office.
Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos says the projects should be continued despite the ongoing probe into the possible loss of Sh21 billion meant for the two projects.
Tolgos said all Kenyans must submit to the rule of law and he has faulted MPs from the region for being misguided by jumping into the narrative discrediting independent institutions like the DCI, DPP and EACC.
“There should be no reason whatsoever for individuals suspected to be implicated in the scam to panic and start rallying politicians to come to their rescue when investigations are underway”, said Tolgos.
The governor said the projects would be completed despite the ongoing probe. He wants the government to release money to compensate more than 1,000 families to be displaced by the projects.
He said the two mega hydro-power dam projects are of immense benefit to the people and greedy individuals and cartels should not be allowed to derail implementation of the projects.
Tolgos said the projects apart from generating electricity to be supplied to the national grid, will also help to deal with unemployment, food insecurity and cattle rustling activities in Kerio Valley.
Tolgos told off the MPs from the county over remarks they made against President Kenyatta on the ongoing probe into the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.
Tolgos says the county fully supports the ongoing probe into suspected misuse of Sh21 billion meant for the dams and accused the MPs of chasing persons of interest in the matter.
The MPs led by Kangogo Bowen of Marakwet East and William Kisang of Marakwet West angrily accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of targeting Deputy President William Ruto and the Kalenjin community in the probe.
But Tolgos has apologised to the President over the remarks and said the MPs were not speaking on behalf of the county.
“On behalf of the people of Elgeyo-Marakwet county, we want to sincerely apologise to the President over political utterances made by the MPs purporting to be speaking on behalf of the county. The remarks were unfortunate and irresponsible,” Tolgos said in a statement.
Tolgos said the MPs who also included Daniel Rono (Keiyo South) Women MP Jane Kiptoo and assembly Speaker Kiplagat Sabulei did not in any way represent the views of the people in the county about the dams scandal.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen had also criticised the President and the DCI over the probe into the dams scandal.
Bowen and his colleagues accused Uhuru of using the handshake with ODM leader Raila Odinga to undermine DP Ruto, the Kalenjin community and development projects in the region.
“This is 2022 politics and not the fight against graft. If Uhuru does not want to support Ruto in 2022 then he should not sacrifice the Kalenjin community or our sons. Let him support Odinga but Kenyans will decide in 2022,” Kisang said.
But Tolgos said Jubilee had its mechanisms of dealing with disputes and the MPs had no authority to disrespect the President in public.
“It was very unnecessary for the MPs to mix 2022 politics and national government projects in Elgeyo-Marakwet county,” Tolgos said. The MPs, he said should have dealt with the issue in Parliament.
He said the MPs should stop focusing on 2022 politics and serve the electorate in the region.