Senators pile pressure on State to halt Murang'a water project

Siaya Senator James Orengo (right) and his Machakos counterpart Johnstone Muthama maintained that the Northern Collector Water Tunnel project should be stopped immediately until another Environmental Impact Assessment is conducted.(Photo: Moses Omusula/Standard)

Pressure Thursday continued to mount on the Jubilee administration over a multi-billion-shilling water project in Murang'a County.

Opposition leaders led by Senators James Orengo (Siaya) and Johnstone Muthama (Machakos) maintained that the Northern Collector Water Tunnel project should be stopped immediately until another Environmental Impact Assessment is conducted.

"The project poses a danger to the livelihoods of millions of people in Murang'a, Garissa, Ukambani and Tana River as it will turn the region into a desert in less than five years. There will be be pollution downstream. These are the dangers we should be conscious of," said Mr Orengo.

Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa on Tuesday visited the site of the project meant to boost water supply to Nairobi and vowed that it would continue despite protests by Opposition chief Raila Odinga, who first raised issue early this week.

Thursday, Orengo trashed assertions that the project was conceived by the grand coalition government and launched by Raila.