Recover stolen cash, severely punish those who have looted dams money

It is hugely disappointing to promise Kenyans so much, only to deliver numerous heartbreaks. For the last five decades, successive governments have routinely made water part of their key agenda. Promises have been anchored on this precious commodity. At independence, Kenyans were promised clean water by the year 2000.

The deadline has since passed, but rural and urban dwellers are still spending long hours in search of water, which in some instances is hawked per litre by profit-driven cartels.

In the meantime, the government has failed to harness and protect this commodity.

The dream of piped, clean water has died off, and now, there is even talk of establishing water kiosks in some places to quench the thirst of taxpayers. But even as Kenyans pursue the dwindling resource, cyclic conflicts among communities have been recurring with worrying frequency and devastating effects.  

A look at the government’s programmes concerning water paint a rosy picture of a regime determined to provide the commodity even in the driest parts of the country. But nothing could be farther from the truth. The country is littered with dry valley, mounds of impotent soil and moribund machinery abandoned by contractors who pocketed millions of taxpayers’ money and took off.

Even Kenyans, who are almost becoming immune to shock from looting of public coffers, are now outraged. They have been let down by their leaders, who are supposed to safeguard their interests.

The most recent outrage was triggered by reports that more than Sh14 billion meant for construction of dams in parts of Rift Valley, has been misappropriated, worsening an already bad situation. After waiting for ages for water, thirsty residents are waking up to the realisation that they may not have water after all, because their dams are damned.

The suspects implicated in the misappropriation of dam money must be made to pay for every cent and locked up. Provision of water should never be predicated on the whims of a cabal of profiteers driven by selfish interests. The looters should be locked up and the key thrown away!