Editor's Review

A caucus of leaders from the Rift Valley have highlighted the revival of the Ksh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer Dam projects as central to their negotiations with DP William Ruto.

On Tuesday, June 7, 2021, at least 70 elected legislators from the Rift Valley held a meeting at Maasai Lodge, Kajiado County where they formed a 14-members committee that will hold negotiations with Deputy President William Ruto on behalf of the region.

The panel will be expected to draft a socio-economic and political agenda for the region ahead of the 2022 general elections.

While addressing the media, the leaders noted that among the key demands they expect addressed is the revival of the Ksh63 Arror and Kimwarer dam projects that were cancelled over allegations of graft.

They called for the completion of the dams, including Itare dam, to boost the agricultural productivity of the Rift Valley communities, as well as pastoralism.

Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok stated that the leaders will liase with experts from all the counties and formulate a draft economic blueprint that will guide their negotiations with DP Ruto.

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The committee is expected to meet with the deputy president in two weeks.

"We don't want to assume that Ruto coming from Rift Valley and being in government he understands the needs of Rift Valley region,"  Nanok stated.

He noted that despite being the DP's home region, Rift Valley too will push to hold broad-based negotiations with the DP, following in the footsteps of Coast and Mount Kenya regions.

"Ruto must tell us how he is going to solve the issues we shall be raising, if he will offer no convincing plan, then he would better allow us to look elsewhere," he said.

Nanok mentioned conservation, agriculture, infrastructure as some of the issues they are looking to engage the DP on.

"We must start by ensuring that we have concrete issues that we shall negotiate for our people in this government and beyond 2022," he said.

The cancellation of the Arror, Kimwarer projects has drawn much attention after the three Italian firms contracted for the project moved to the International Court of Arbitration seeking Ksh11 billion in compensation.

They pinned the failure of the projects on the political supremacy battle between President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP Ruto.