Villagers accuse area chief of sinking borehole 14km away

Residents of Laula village, Mogotio, protest against the location of a borehole. They accused area chief of not involving them in deciding the borehole's location. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Residents of Naula village in Oldebes location, Mogotio have protested against the sinking of a borehole 14 kilometres from their homes.

The residents took to the streets on Friday accusing the area chief of influencing the location of the borehole and denying them a chance to air their views on the most suitable spot.

The administrator has denied these claims.

“The borehole is on a private site and far from our homes.  We were not involved in choosing where to sink it,” said Koitei Mandai.

The borehole is the only reliable source of water for the villagers after water pans that they have been relying on dried.

“We had a surveyor who said he was sent from the water ministry. A survey was done and a borehole was to be drilled at Naula, but the surveyors went with the chief to another place called Kalpefu,” said  Sylvester Changwony.

Sote Cherop, who is blind and elderly, said it would be difficult to walk the 14 kilometers from her home to the borehole.

She said school-going children were even more affected by the location of the borehole.

Most of the villagers now rely on muddy pools left on the water pans and fear they might be hit by waterborne diseases. They are now appealing to the Government to sink another borehole next to their homes.

But the area chief, Stephen Ngetich, denied influencing the location of the borehole to have it near his home.

He said the location was decided by a committee. He also denied that the residents were not given a chance to decide on the location, saying public participation was done on the issue.

The chief said Kalpefu and Koitegan were proposed by the villagers themselves. According to the administrator, the villagers were being inpatient because another borehole would be sank near their homes.

“People claim I took the project 14 kilometres away from them, that is not the case. The borehole they are fighting for could be the third one and not the proposed two. I  can confirm public participation was also done two years ago,” said Ng’etich.