Murang?a assembly wanted Sh6.8bn project redesigned

The Murang'a assembly last year recommended the controversial Sh6.8 billion Northern Water Collector Tunnel be redesigned because it would cause severe and long-term damage.

A report of the assembly's Technical Committee concluded that diversion of water from three rivers – Maragua, Irati and Gikigi – will result in "severe and unacceptable" consequences.

The report, a copy of which the Star has obtained, accuses the project's proponents of overlooking grave ecological impact and consequences.

"The continuing northwards encroachment of rivers in Murang'a for water supply to Nairobi is not sustainable," the report, dated April last year, states.

"Both present and future abstractions will critically alter environment and river flows to the detriment of the welfare of Murang'a county."

However, the assembly's top leadership and Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wairia have made a U-turn and now back the World Bank-funded project.

Wairia accused opposition chief Raila Odinga of seeking political mileage in Central Kenya by discrediting the project. "He [Raila] is trying to prepare ground for the Murang'a rally, as he knows with no agenda, the reception will be zero."

But Jubilee and others say the Master Plan containing the project was approved by Raila when he was Prime Minister in September 2012.

On Monday, Raila raised the red flag on the project's "tunnels of death," terming it "disastrous". He said the larger Murang'a, Garissa, Ukambani and Tana River Delta regions will become desert in five years.

The report cautioned existing and planned irrigation schemes will be unfeasible, if the project is not stopped.

The report accused the government of awarding the construction contract in September 2014, but the National Environmental Management Authority licence was granted in February 2015.

It said conditions of the Nema licence were not met and the application for a water abstraction permit was still being processed in April 2015. "This goes against provision under Section 42( 1 ) of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act and the Water Act," the report says.

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