Controversy surrounds a Sh. 12 million water pan in Nyando Constituency in Kisumu County after a contractor abandoned the project over non-payment.
A visit to the site by the Kisumu County Development Implementation Coordination Committee under the County Commissioner Abdi Hassan established that works on the Nyaidho/ Nyalbiego water pan initiated by the National government in June 2017 stalled after the contractor abandoned the site due to non-payment.
The Director and Project Manager of the National Water Harvesting and Ground Water Exploitation Programme (NWH&GWXP) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation James Yatich, in a letter, says the Ministry has not paid any money “as the contractor has not met the minimum to qualify payment and has been advised as much,” says Yatich.
However, according to records from the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), close to Sh 6 million is envisaged to have been spent on the project and money not received by the contractor.
The contractor, MS. Kameso Company Limited confirmed to the committee that she is yet to be paid a penny despite doing 30 per cent of the works, as affirmed by the Ministry.
Abdi Hassan has however insisted that the project must be completed and if any government officer is found to have misappropriated the funds, then disciplinary action must be taken against them.
The project estimated to cost Sh. 12,226,561 under the National Water Harvesting and Ground Water Exploitation Program (NWH&GWXP) is being implemented under the state department of Irrigation and was intended to benefit 310 households, 1500 livestock and three acres irrigation.
Hassan expressed concern over the stalled project even after a local farmer gave out the site for free to the government.
The contractor was expected to develop a 30,000M3 storage capacity, complete with auxiliary works, sanitation, draw offs cattle trough and community water point.
By George Kaiga
