The West Pokot government and Kerio Valley Development Authority plan to renovate the State Lodge in Turkwel.
The lodge, meant to house the president when he or she is in the area, was abandoned 25 years ago following attacks. It used to be a tourist attraction.
Governor John Lonyangapuo says President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised it will be rehabilitated and possibly handed over to the county government's management.
He says said the county government will collaborate with KVDA to restore the lodge. “We shall help in the construction of the lodge to attract tourists," the governor says.
Once renovated, it will be used for seminars and conferences. “The lodge is near the Turkwel Dam, which is attractive. We shall bring it back to life,” Lonyangapuo says.
Besides the lodge, facilities at the Turkwel power plant remain abandoned and dilapidated, a clear evidence of the effects of cattle rustling.
