Residents Up in Arms Over Dam Project

By Tobby Otum

The commencement of the construction work for the proposed Mwache Multipurpose Dam project in Kwale county has hit a snag after residents of Fulugani village om the area barricaded the feeder road leading to the site of the project.

The residents held a day long protest over claims they have been shortchanged in employment opportunities. They lashed out at their elected leaders for going missing and abandoning them at their hour of need.

The local residents claimed they are part and parcel of the Sh 20 billion project in Mazeras sub county yet they are not beneficiaries.    

They said they won’t allow the project to commence until their grievances are addressed.

Led by Mwambire Haranga they refuted claims the villagers are against the project despite poor compensation by the government to allow the project to commence.Haranga insisted what the villagers are demanding is within their constitutional rights.”The local county administration has frustrated our efforts to be employed by the contractor who was awarded the tender,” he said.

He spoke after leading a protest at the village bridge leading to the site of the project. 

The village spokesperson lamented that the Sino Hydro contractor imported employees from outside the county with an excuse the locals lack experience.

Mwambire demanded the contractor to withdraw the work experience condition when they are carrying out the recruitment of employees at the site.

He insisted this was a lame excuse used to deny the locals employment opportunities at the expense of outsiders.

“We demand to get a lion’s share during recruitment of workers as we support the project,” he pointed out.       

A female villager Njala Nyiro said they are  aware the project was to begin last month after the commencement of the contract which was signed in August 2018 was delayed for several years to allow the government to finalize compensation for villagers who owned the land.

She said a committee was formed in the area without any representatives from the village.

“The committee was formed without the Fulugani residents being involved and by the look of things it is business as usual,” she pointed out.

A youth representative told journalists the reason behind their support for the project is for them to benefit through being economically empowered through being employed.  Meri Mwanzamba pointed out they had accepted to sell their land and property due to the hardships and denied claims they were happy with the compensation package from the government.

He insisted they accepted to support the project in exchange for a better compensation package.

“We won’t allow youths to be imported to work for the project while we are being sidelined,” he warned.The youth representative scoffed at the condition that they have to have a five years experience to be allowed to work at the site wondering how they could get the experience without being employed first.

Mwanzamba who is an artist said they had expected elected leaders to be on the forefront to fight for their rights instead of taking a back seat and watching the unfolding drama from a distance.

He demanded they should begin benefiting from the fruits of the project now rather than being given empty promises.  

“We won’t accept empty promises and we have vowed not to allow the machines and equipment to be transported to the site,” he said.

But Coast Water Works Development Agency [CWWDA] acting chief executive officer [CEO] Martin Tsuma has promised to issue a comprehensive statement by end of this week on the matter.

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