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{
    "id": 1021334,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1021334/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 346,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kisumu CWR, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Rozaah Buyu",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1950,
        "legal_name": "Rozaah Akinyi Buyu",
        "slug": "rozaah-akinyi-buyu"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to talk about dams and water in effect. Like I already said, I am a Member of this Committee. We all know that water is an essential commodity that every single Kenyan needs and would benefit from. We also know that only 50 per cent of this country has access to clean safe and adequate water. Kenya can be referred to as a water scarce country. The Committee found that the distribution of dams in this country is skewed. You find that there are particular areas that have more than two dams when other areas that also need water have absolutely none. Having said that, the Committee also found out that there is a very clear consistent pattern in the way these dams were procured and how the whole system of dam construction was handled. First, there is awarding without due diligence which some of the Members have already referred to. After awarding without due diligence, you then have huge sums of money being paid up front, then within two months of commencement of construction, you find that already there is request and payment of variation sometimes going up to Kshs2 billion. After that, you find that work stalls and there is a whole lot of problems and back and forth in courts. Later, you find that the contract ends and there is settlements that go up to billions of shillings. In the end, Kenyans lose. The Government loses a lot of money and Kenyans who are hoping to benefit from the construction of dams are left helpless and without the benefit of water. When I am talking about due diligence, and this has already been mentioned, when you look at Itare and Thwake dams, within two months of the commencement of the contract, Itare applied for bankruptcy way back in their home country of Italy. After Thwake had already been given the contract, it was then discovered that it was blacklisted by World Bank. The question the Committee was asking was how you do your due diligence if within no time the contactors are already in problems either financially or in terms of integrity and reputation. When we talk about huge advance payments, there is Karimenu II where Kshs4 billion had already been paid. Even before work started, Kshs4 billion had been paid 24 months before the work started. Why? Because they put the cart before the horse. They committed the project, paid the money and yet they had not acquired land. Also, looking at Thwake Dam, Kshs7 billion had been paid when only seven per cent of the work had been done."
}