Standard Gauge Railway compensation beneficiaries on a marrying spree

Kwale County Governor Salim Mvurya has cautioned the beneficiaries in the compensation of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) against misusing the money.

The governor said that several men who have been paid off have gone full throttle on a marrying spree instead of putting the cash in good use.

Speaking on Friday During Jamhuri Day celebration at Baraza park in Kwale, Mvurya lamented that land owners on the route the railway line have not been sensitize on how to utilize the millions they will receive and that most of them were misusing the cash.

"We made allot of noise and now that the money is being wire to the accounts of the beneficiaries what we are seeing is that most men are now marrying young wives because of the millions they received," said the Governor.

Mvurya warned that if the beneficiaries will not careful they will plunge themselves into poverty again "with an extra burden of a second wife."

There have been calls by local political leaders and human rights activists to the county governments affected by the project to come up with programs to sensitize the beneficiaries on how to invest the money.

According to Genesis for Human rights Activists Executive Officer, Caleb Ng'wena, the compensation has also ignited fights in some families with others breaking up.

"It is true that an area like in Samburu several cases have been reported to the local chiefs concerning the sharing of the money by family member and I think it is the work of county governments and local political leaders to sensitize their people on how to use the money," said Ng'wena.

In Kwale, land owners in a 71 kilometre stretch will be compensated and Kenya Railway said last week that money had been wired to the bank accounts of most of them.

Several people are also scrambling for employment of opportunities and the China and Bridge Company says that most of its works force will be drawn for the local communities.

Late last month the company, SGR and the County Government formed a committee to oversee distribution of jobs to locals. This was after locals accused the company on corruption and discrimination in its employment process.

Mvurya, however said that the project may turn out to be a "curse' if the locals will not make use of the huge benefits they will accrued from the construction of the line.

"Kwale County will no longer allow it's people to be oppressed, that's why we your leaders are here to solve these employment problem, we will not rest until our people get there rights as citizens of this nation," noted Mvurya during the formation of the committee.

The 21 member committee according to Mvurya should see to it that 70 per cent of the employment goes to locals.

Kinango MP Gonzi Rai has so far asked the human resource department of the company to serve the office of the Governor with the list of all employees working in the department.

"We want transparency in the employment process and corporate social responsibility that is effective to the community. We want the people of Kwale to know that in this new dispensation things have to be done in the right way" remarked Rai.