Acting KVDA head Sammy Naporos has started restructuring the troubled authority caught up in the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.
Naporos met with staff and urged them to ensure the Kerio Valley Development Authority is back on its feet after top managers were arrested and charged over the dams scandal.
Board chairman Jackson Kiptanui has expressed full support for Naporos who was appointed a week ago by the CS for East African Community and Regional Development Adan Mohammed.
“We will give full support to the new team so that they normalise operations at KVDA,” Kiptanui said.
A team of five officers seconded by Adan from the ministry to help revive KVDA has arrived in Eldoret and met with Naporos before embarking on their mandate.
Naporos is currently managing director at the Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority but will temporarily head KVDA as the government speeds up recruitment of a new CEO.
Last month, David Kimosop was sacked by the board as CEO over the dams scandal. He was replaced by his deputy Francis Kipkech in acting capacity. Kipkech was however arrested along with ten other senior KVDA staff and charged along with CS Treasury Henry Rotich and PS Thuge.
Last week, CS Adan dispatched his principal secretary Margaret Mwakima to KVDA to effect the appointment of Naporos as acting CEO.
Mwakima introduced Naporos to staff and assured that operations would be normalised. Naporos has been mandated to appoint senior staff who will head departments at KVDA.
The authority employs more than 500 workers and operates in all North Rift counties.
“KVDA along with other regional development authorities play a major role in national development and that is why we are here to ensure continuity at KVDA so that all programmes can continue normally”, Mwakima said.
She said KVDA programmes and budget must be aligned with the national development plans and the President’s Big Four agenda .
“We have asked the new management to prioritise their programmes and activities in order to improve efficiency of public investments at KVDA”, Mwakima said.
On Monday, sources said the authority was financially unstable but the government had committed to support its operations.
Chairman Kiptanui said they would work with the new management at KVDA to ensure that the authority stands on its feet.
“We are sure that the authority will still progress well and implement its mandate,” said Kiptanui.
It is not clear whether KVDA will still proceed with implementation of the dam projects located in Elgeyo Marakwet county but local leaders including Governor Alex Tolgos have appealed to President Kenyatta to continue with the project.
However Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi says the dams project is dead, adding that they were deliberately meant to collapse as part of a political scheme against the Kalenjin community.
