Uhuru tours Nakuru and Baringo armed with development goodies

President Uhuru Kenyatta (PHOTO: COURTESY)

President Uhuru Kenyatta will today begin a two-day visit to Baringo and Nakuru. According to State House, the President will be in the region to launch development projects.

The visit comes at a time when the region is just emerging from a gruelling political battle for the Kericho senatorial seat.

The President kept away from the campaigns where a resurgent Kanu caused anxiety within the ruling Jubilee coalition.

Deputy President William Ruto, who led the campaigns for the Jubilee candidate Aaron Cheruiyot, had to contend with allies-turned-rebels who campaigned for the Kanu candidate.

The ‘rebels’ accused the Jubilee administration of reneging on their campaign promises to the region.

The question of unfulfilled promises is also likely to feature during President Kenyatta’s visit to Nakuru County.

According to leaders who spoke to The Standard ahead of the visit, rehabilitation of key roads has not been undertaken, as well as the construction of an airport in Nakuru that has been pending since the time of the Grand Coalition Government.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri said people are ready to welcome the President and would be keen hear about the upgrading and construction of roads, as well as the progress on the airport.

“There were issues we had asked the President to address during his first tour in 2013; some of the projects have been undertaken while others have stalled,” Ngunjiri said.

The construction of the airport was shelved after the proposed site - near the Kenya Pipeline depot was ruled unsafe for such a facility.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) was to partner with the county government of Nakuru to look for an alternative site, but not much has been done since, said Ngunjiri.

There is also the construction of four dams in Nakuru North Constituency and the rehabilitation of the Nyahururu-Nakuru road and other roads that fall under the national government. President Kenyatta’s tour also coincides with inter-county land issues that have seen raising tensions among communities along the Naivasha-Narok border, where genuine title deed holders have been forced out of their land by invaders.

A total of 10 farms in areas around Naivasha have witnessed a spate of armed attacks perpetrated by people suspected to be from the Maasai community, all reported in the past two weeks.

The troubled farms include Utheri Wa Lari, Nyakinyua, Ndibithi, ADC Kosovo, Ngongongeri, Ndabibi ADC, Ng’ati and Kiambogo. Local leaders have accused the security apparatus of taking sides in the land rows that have caused ethic tensions in the areas.

The land row has also spread to Ngongongeri farm in Njoro constituency where two people were reportedly killed during an invasion of private land by members of the Ogiek Community. Deputy Governor Joseph Ruto says the county government will seek the intervention of the President on the land matters.

“Land matters are emotive and it is important for the President give directions on how the matter should be handled to avoid further skirmishes. The National Land Commission is taking long to offer a lasting solution,” he said.

Commission dam

In the absence of Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, who is abroad on official duties, Ruto is expected to welcome President Kenyatta to the county. According to an itinerary, the President will arrive today and proceed to Eldama Ravine in Baringo County to commission the Sh5.5 billion Chemususu dam. The dam is a key Vision 2030 flagship project that will serve more than 600,000 residents of Eldama Ravine and Mogotio constituencies in Baringo County. It lies on 200 acres of land.

It will also benefit residents of the neighbouring Rongai Constituency in Nakuru County. However, local residents have issues with the delay in the construction of a water treatment plant and the distribution network.

According to Lembus Council of Elders chairman Joseph Leboo, the delay in laying the pipes and construction of the treatment plant was causing anxiety among residents. Leboo said given a chance he would ask the President on the plight of Chemoson and Arama residents who were cut off from accessing water after the construction of the dam.

“The villagers were promised an alternative source of water for their animals and domestic use after the dam was fenced off,” he said.

But Rift Valley Water Service Board chairman John Kitilit said most of the issues raised by the residents had been handled.

“The tender for the treatment plant worth Sh400 million has already been awarded to a contractor and work is set to start soon,” he said.

There was also an agreement between the contractor and residents on the conversion of the camp site set up during construction of the dam into a dispensary.

“After the construction of the dam, the contractor left the site, demolished the building and carried all the materials,” Leboo said.

After commissioning the dam, the President will travel to Molo constituency to commission the Molo-Olenguruone road. The contract for the class D316 road was among 11 others that were awarded to a Chinese firm - China Wu Yi Co Ltd - at a cost of Sh23.3 billion in September 2015. Molo MP Jacob Macharia said the leaders have an opportunity to remind the President about a memorandum they presented to him in 2013 when he visited the county after assuming office.