MPs give irrigation board ultimatum on Sh816m projects

MPs from Turkana County have given the National Irrigation Board (NIB) seven days to implement 15 projects worth Sh816 million or risk legal action.

The MPs accused the NIB management of duping them into believing that it would embark on the completion of the projects in return for going slow on a petition filed in the National Assembly.

“If they are not going to take any meaningful steps to revamp the projects as we agreed about six months ago, we are going to court next week to compel the board to implement the projects,” Protus Akuja, the Loima MP said.

Mr Akuja had presented a petition on behalf of Turkana residents to the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee (PIC) to in­vestigate financial malpractices in the award of tenders.

The residents, through the MP, had asked Parliament to audit all the irrigation projects which they said had stalled.

They demanded investigations into alleged breach of procurement laws in the award of contracts for the projects. They accused former General Manager Daniel Barasa of financial mismanagement in implementation of about 14 irrigation projects in Turkana County.

Mr Barasa quit the irrigation agency fol­lowing a boardroom fight that followed his suspension over financial mismanagement. Mr Mugambi Gitonga, the acting general manager of the board, defended it over claims that it flouted the procurement law in tendering projects.

On Wednesday, Mr Akuja said resources pumped into the stalled projects do not reflect the reality on the ground.

“Three years down the line and the projects have never been implemented despite millions of shillings being pumped into them. The worst part of it is that the board has contributed to the poverty of Turkana residents who used to earn a living in their makeshift irrigation projects,” Mr Akuja, who was accompanied by his counterpart Christopher Nakuleu, said.