The Correlation for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader, Raila Odinga, and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chair has blamed the Jubilee government for Northern Collector Tunnel, a project he termed being carried in ‘secret’ by Jubilee government.
Through his statement, Raila said that the project has been active since 2014 and is meant to amass water from several rivers posing a threat of drought in some lower areas five years to come.
“It has been going on since 2014 in utmost secrecy, heavy security and without acknowledgement even by a regime desperate to be seen to be commissioning projects. It will be collecting water from the rivers at their source in the Aberdares and diverting the water to Thika’s Ndakaini dam for use in Nairobi,” read Raila’s statement.
Addressing the press on Monday, October 10, Odinga said the Northern Water Collector Tunnel Project, allegedly funded by the World Bank, would have dire effect on the people living on the Tana River basin, Murang’a, Garissa and Ukambani regions.
“Seven rivers are targeted; all of them feed the famous River Tana, the source of livelihood for communities all the way from Ukambani, through Muranga, Garissa, Tana River and other parts of the Coast.
In the beginning, the project will target rivers Maragua, Irati and Gikigie. It will then be extended to tap water from rivers South Mathioya, Hembe, Githugi and North Mathioya. All these are tributaries of the Tana River
The secrecy surrounding this project is by design. Even the Jubilee Government knows it is a bad project. It will turn Murang’a, Garissa, Ukambani and Tana River Delta regions into deserts in five years of implementation. This is according to technical and feasibility reports that are also available to the very government implementing the project.,” continued the statement.