Laikipia County Commissioner Onesmus Kytha (CC), last Wednesday stunned the County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC), when he reported that there was nothing to show for a dam known as Lakasayan where the government has reportedly spent Sh 12 million.
The CC noted there was no evidence on the ground where the project is said to have been constructed in Laikipia North sub County.
The County Director of Presidential Delivery unit, Tutah Richard, said according to the information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, fisheries and Irrigation the dam is 60 percent complete.
“The Information I have from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and irrigation says the dam’s works are at 60 percent complete and the contract was signed in March 2017 and the works were to be completed in June 2019,” the director said.
But the County boss said: “Nobody knows about the project and there is nothing on the ground where it said to have been constructed.”
The CDICC mandated the County Criminal Investigation Officer, Peter Muinde, to carry out investigation on the contractor who was awarded the contract and if any pay has been done for the works which cannot be traced. Kytha was giving his findings during a CDICC meeting held at the County National Drought Management Boardroom, Nanyuki.
The CC was given the responsibility of carrying out investigation on the existence and status of the dam funded at a tune of Sh. 12 million, by the national government, through the department of irrigation during a similar meeting held in Nyahururu town two weeks ago.
He pointed out the alleged dam’s status is not even clear through the documents under CDICC possession.
During the meeting, a contractor who was summoned to appear before the Committee over construction of Endana Secondary school borehole in Laikipia east Sub County, did not turn up and instead sent his two workers.
The contractor known as Ragico construction Limited and based in Meru town, was awarded the contract to drill the borehole and equip it at a tune of Sh.7 million.
The Contractor says that borehole’s works are 100 complete but a visit by the CDICC team to verify the same is contradicting his report.
When the team visited the site, last month to verify the status of the borehole it discovered the facility is not equipped and its depth cannot be ascertained since it is not serving its purpose of supplying water to the Secondary school and the community around.
The CC, told the two Ragico construction company workers, John Mwenda and Gedion Kinoti who said their boss was engaged in Nairobi and that is why he could not make it, to send the contract documents from the initial stage to the last.
By Margaret Kirera
