Ten residents of Murang'a County have filed a
petition in the Senate seeking the dissolution of the Athi Water
Services Board and the suspension of the CEO Malaquen Milgo pending
investigations over the loss of pipes worth Sh350 million.
The
petitioners further want the Board’s activities in the county halted,
accusing it of failing to supply water to locals before supplying
Nairobi residents and that the auditor-general conducts a forensic audit
on all activities in the county and a report filed to the Senate.
The petition was presented to the Senate by majority deputy whip Irungu Kang’ata on Friday.
Mr Kang'ata is also the county's Senator.
The residents accuse the company of taking water from the county without adequately compensating them.
NO WATER
“The Board has been promising to supply water
to Murang'a County residents to no avail. This is with specific mention
of Ndakaini residents who live around the dam but do not have access to
water for household use and consumption,” the residents said in the
petition.
The petition was filed just
days after Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi called on the Board to halt the
construction of the Northern Water Collector Tunnel over its failure to
supply water to the locals before connecting to Nairobi.
The
MP accused the Board of having violated the directive by President
Uhuru Kenyatta that it should first ensure that the locals are first
connected with water.
The
controversial Sh6.8 billion-tunnel is set to collect flood water from
rivers Irati, Mathioya and Gikigie channelling it to Ndakaini dam which
supplies water to Nairobi County.
Its
construction came to public limelight in 2016 after opposition leader
Raila Odinga raised alarm saying it would have devastating impact on the
environment.
Describing the project as tunnels of death, Mr Odinga said seven counties would be turned into desert.
However,
government officials rubbished the claims saying environmental
assessment had been conducted and the World Bank-funded project given a
clean bill of health.
After Mr Odinga
rubbished the project, the state responded by availing Sh350 million
worth of pipes to compensate the surrounding community but in their
petition say the money was not accounted for.
The
residents further complain that the tendering process for all the
projects being undertaken in the county are not just unfair and
suspicious but the locals are not being considered
“Efforts
in terms or oral and written presentation to the Board to have the
matter addressed have failed because no response has been given,” the
residents says.
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