Kabarnet residents decline to sell land for sewerage plant

Residents of Kabarnet Town in Baringo County will have to wait longer for their sewerage treatment plant after 200 residents of Kewamoi Village in Kabarnet revoked an agreement to sell their land to Rift Valley Water Services Board (RVWSB) for the building of the sewer plant after the board failed to compensate them for the land.

Representatives of the community claimed that RVWSB had swindled them after it requested for land from them three years ago, noting that the land has since appreciated and cannot be sold at the original agreed price.

Mr Reuben Kipyakwai, owner of Kewamoi Day Secondary School formerly located on the piece of land, said he was forced to close the school, which was his major source of income. He further added that the school was meant to enable children form lowly backgrounds to access education. He accused RVWSB of breach of contract after they failed to pay them Ksh150 million for the 24-acre piece of land.

Richard Keitany, another resident, also supported the revocation saying he had lost millions of shillings, as he cannot sell the land to any other investor.

Efforts to reach the RVWSB Chief Officer Japheth Mutai bore no fruit as he said he was holed up in a meeting.

Written by Eddy Ashioya