The Ethics and Anti –Corruption Commission has been asked to investigate the issuance of the consultancy services for implementation of Mwache dam resettlement action plan.
The tender also included resettlement of the vulnerable and marginalized group plan and was contract No. MOWS/KWSCRP 2/002/2018-2019.
In a letter dated July 20, 2022 and addressed to the commission, several business people who participated in the tender want EACC to investigate if the issuance of the tender was above board and in accordance with the law.
"The above tender was advertised by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation in October 2018. The tender was then awarded by the Ministry to Consultants Agency on October 2019 at a price of Sh342 million,” the businessmen told EACC.
They want the Anti-graft body to investigate if the winner of the tender used legit documents especially on the company's past experiences with government and private entities.
In particular, the complainants want EACC to investigate the legitimacy of documents purportedly from National Irrigation Authority (NIA) and TANATHI Water Works Development Agency.
They want the commission to summon the project manager who is based in the ministry and the director of the company that won the tender.
They also want EACC to stop any payments for the tender pending investigations.
In April, the government announced that the construction of the Mwache dam in Kwale county had started after the completion of rehabilitation works and the compensation of residents.
The project is funded by the World Bank. The dam will be 87.5 meters tall, targeted to impound 118 million cubic meters of water.
It will harness water from the overflowing Mwache river and strengthen daily supply of 186, 000 cubic meters of water to Kwale, Mombasa and Kilifi.
The entire project will affect about 12,000 residents and 3,220 households from 20 villages.
Phase one of the project will affect at least 4,000 residents.
The project runs from Fulugani to Pemba villages.
The government released Sh4 billion to compensate the affected residents who gave out the land for the project.
