Elgeyo Marakwet governor Alex Tolgos addresses the press after a meeting with elected leaders and community representatives on October 9, 2017 [Photo: Joe Khisia]
The Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) has been asked to ensure all people who will be displaced to pave way for the construction of two mega dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County are fully compensated before the project begins.
This is one of the key resolutions reached during a meeting between Elgeyo Marakwet county elected leaders and community representatives from Kimwarer and Kipsaiya areas of Keiyo South and Marakwet West where KVDA intends to construct the two mega dams.
The meeting also agreed that KVDA establishes liaison offices in both areas and post officers to sort out issues raised by land owners. Addressing the press after the meeting, area governor Alex Tolgos insisted that his administration was not against the sh63 billion project.
"As a County Government, we are not opposed to the projects. We are only championing the interests of the land owners to avoid similar past cases where locals are displaced and shortchanged in their compensation and resettlement," Tolgos said, Monday.
"As elected leaders and locals representatives we've agreed that best practices on other areas in the country where successful resettlement and compensation has been done should be borrowed," he added.
It was also agreed that KVDA should be having continuous engagement with land owners and all stakeholders to guarantee the successful implementation of the two projects.
There was a row over the project after governor Tolgos said KVDA will not be allowed to go on with the dams’ construction until it involves residents and compensates more than 700 families who will be displaced.