Sh580 million to clear Galana Kulalu bushes

Controversy surrounding the Galana Kulalu Irrigation project deepened on Tuesday when it was revealed tSh580 million was spent to clear bushes on the 10,000-acre farm.

Furthermore, part of the state money was spent by the National Irrigation Board to clear land reportedly owned by a private investor, the Senate Committee on Agriculture heard.

Ministry officials and the implementing NIB were pressed to explain why no value for money has been realised in the Sh7.2 billion project.

NIB head of design and planning Charles Muasya told the committee chaired by Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga that the land was leased from the Agricultural Development Corporation.

“The site NIB cleared is not the same where the Galana Kulalu project was implemented,” Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo said.

In defence of bush clearing costs, Muasya said the NIB spent Sh40,000 per acre to remove stumps at the site, and another Sh68,000 per acre for levelling the land.

“We believe government got value for money,” he told the committee.

The lawmakers cast doubt on the project, however, citing a deliberate attempt to orchestrate its collapse on political grounds.

It is generally considered to have failed and to be a white elephant.

Galana Kulalu was President Uhuru Kenyatta’s flagship project to attain food security.

The project has since run into contractual troubles resulting in the Israeli contractor, Green Arava, suspending work for lack of equipment.

Green Arava chairman Yariv Kedar accused the Agriculture ministry of frustrating efforts to have the equipment shipped.

He said the ministry has insisted on a bill of lading as proof of purchase and shipment of the equipment before committing funds.

“The ministry is in breach of the contract we signed which says payments be made before equipment is supplied…the interest to kill the project is political,” Kedar told the senators.

Irrigation PS Fred Segor held that the contractor, without producing the bill of lading, cannot demonstrate that the items were indeed purchased.

But senators and host county leaders — Governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Dhadho Godana (Tana River) — argued that the frustration is part of a systematic plot to kill the project in favour of millers.

They held that the reduced cost of the project from Sh14 billion to Sh7.2 billion was part of the scheme after some key components were dropped from the original plan.

Envisioned in the earlier deal was the construction of a milling plant that would have caused unga prices to drop to between Sh50 and Sh60.

A planned logistics centre, which was to have a school, a dispensary, a police station and water points, was also dropped in the changed deal.

The contractual row is now threatening to sink the whole project — whose irrigation infrastructure is 85 per cent complete.

These failures are further putting Kenyans at risk of losing Sh5.9 billion spent on the venture so far.

Attorney General Kihara Kariuki has warned against termination on grounds Kenya would violate its loan obligations in the agreement with the Israeli government.

Senator Ndwiga directed the Office of the Auditor General to conduct a special audit on the project and furnish a report in 30 days.

“We are staring at a white elephant if we don’t handle this project well,” the Embu senator said.

His point was echoed by Migori’s Ochillo Ayacko, adding that NIB appears to be keen on abandoning the project.

He said the frustrations meted out on the contractor are nothing but a plan to have them abandon the works.

Governor Kingi said since agriculture was devolved, NIB should consider handing over the project to the host counties as spelt out in Section 121 of the County Government Act.

His Tana River counterpart said residents get no jobs, no food or any benefits that were promised.

Edited by Eliud Kibii