Joho tells Uhuru to stop controversial water project

Mombasa Governor, Ali Hassan Joho, has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to stop the Northern Collector Tunnel Water project due to foreseeable implications.

In a statement to newsrooms, the ODM deputy party leader said that the project would have far-reaching effects on the people living in Garissa, Ukambani and Kilifi counties.

“The Northern Collector Tunnel that seeks to tap water out of about seven rivers that feed the River Tana falls right in the category of state policies whose impact will be economic marginalisation of whole communities and regions.”

“Jubilee government is digging more tunnels, maintaining that the Northern Collector Tunnel is a perfect, irreversible idea. This, therefore, is a deliberate act of economic sabotage.”

He stated that the project will not only affect Murang’a but the entire Tana River basin which comprises over 138,000 square kilometers and serves over 12 million people across 20 counties.

“For Garissa, Tana River and parts of Kilifi, the Tana is a lifeline in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, these counties, together with others upstream in Ukambani, are among the poorest and marginalized in Kenya.”

“Like the people of Muranga, these counties cannot afford any further marginalization and sabotage. Unfortunately, this is what the Northern Collector Tunnel will end up doing.”

He faulted Jubilee for allegedly ignoring the plight of the regions in the Tana River basin by proceeding with the implementation of the project.

In fact, most of the people downstream, if not all, heard about this project for the first time when Raila Odinga spoke about it two days ago. This is impunity and deliberate act of sabotage.

Joho noted that despite denials by the government, there are indications that the project was designed, commissioned and construction commenced before an Environmental Impact Assessment report was prepared and a license issued by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

“The chain of events point to an illegality being committed on the people of Murang’a and occupants of the Tana River Delta,” he said.

“The project had been designed by end of the year 2013, the tender for a contractor was published in March 2014 and an agreement signed with the contractor on 1st September 2014. A payment of Ksh 1,365,127,934.56 was also paid to the contractor in October.”

He noted that the terms of reference for the conduct of the Environmental Impact Assessment were approved in July 2014 and the Environmental Impact Assessment report approved in November 2014 with the license by NEMA being issued in February 2015.

Joho claimed that the Environmental Impact Assessment report had indicated that the project would lead to severe loss of water on the Tana River which would lead to drying up of both ground and underground rivers and streams in Garissa, Ukambani and Tana River Delta.

“Downstream at the Coast, we cannot take any further marginalization.  Neither Tana River nor Kilifi counties can afford any acts of economic sabotage anymore. Garissa won’t take it either. Nor will Ukambani.”

“The report said the effects will be so severe that the larger Murang’a, Garissa, Ukambani and the Tana River Delta region will be deserts within five years of this project.”

The northern water collector tunnel dossier was released by ODM leader Raila Odinga on Monday in what has ignited political and economic warfare between Jubilee and CORD.