Members of the Nyandarua County Assembly have petitioned the Senate for a share of proceeds from local water and forest resources that were tapped to benefit residents from other counties at the expense of the host communities.
They decried that local residents went without water for domestic use yet the resource was tapped from local dams and later piped for distribution in neighbouring counties
Member for Njambini-Kiburu ward, Kairu Gachomba regretted that the county residents lacked water for domestic use as Sasumwa and Konoike dams only benefited residents of other counties especially Nairobi.
“The dams and the resources thereof are restricted areas for the residents who can only access water from rivers for domestic and commercial use. There is need to include the county residents in exploitation of the water, and forest produce from Aberdare and other forests, the expected minimum standards would be revenue sharing. We therefore demand equal revenue sharing formula to help us empower residents,” noted Gachomba.
The legislator noted that exploitation of forest produce be limited to legal frameworks that would ensure the residents are compensated for their conservation efforts.
“We petition the national government to also fund the excavation of dams and distribute water to residents for domestic and commercial use,” noted Gachomba, citing irrigation that would ensure all year round food production.
Speaker Stephen Waiganjo directed the House Business Committee to give directions on its processing.
Residents giving their input on the ongoing public participation on the County Integrated Development Plan (2023-2027) regretted that the county was generally dry with residents sinking boreholes and relying on colonial dams for water.
“Gahongo dam which served most of us was allowed to spill after threatening to burst its banks, never to be repaired to date.
“Turasha River is generally dry in the months of January to April and we have to employ security personnel to guard it against persons who redirect the waters to private dams leaving others without water,” cried Wachira Murage, a resident of Gathara ward, while calling on the county to prioritize desilting of dams.
Governor Dr. Moses Badilisha during his Mashujaa day remarked that the county would follow-up to ensure the county benefit ted directly from its natural resources.
“The Intergovernmental Budget Committee of the Council of Governors recently told us that counties with oil and gold will receive 10 percent of the total revenue accrued. I was told that water was a God given resource for all and therefore we will not receive anything for this.
“We are coming up with a bill alongside Muranga county to have revenue channeled to our counties for our water,” said Dr Badilisha, while calling on the Senator John Methu to take lead in the push.
Nyandarua residents have since independence relied on dams, rivers and water pans for water for their domestic use, its waters benefiting other counties including Nairobi, Laikipia, Nakuru, Garissa, Isiolo among others.
Efforts to push for a kick back have in the past yielded little with proposals to have Kinja and Pesi dams constructed to benefit the residents being marred with politics and self-interests. The two projects now, still lag at feasibility stage, five years since their proposals