.Only A Billion Shillings Will Make Us Embrace The Controversial NCL Project - MP

Kandara MP doing a jig with pupils from Mutheru Primary School after commissioning a water project in the area.

Kandara MP Alice Muthoni Wahome has stood to her ground vowing to fight the Controversial Northern Collector Tunnel (NCT) Project unless Murang’a residents benefitted fully from the water resources that was being extracted from their county.

She said that in the previous Ndakaini Dam project the locals ended up getting a row deal and it was now prudent that everything was put in place before the project materialised.

“Even though we as the leaders of Murang’a County agree to work with the government as regards to this project (NCT), I personally have my own reservations. For instance, as Murang’a County gives its water to Nairobi for the second time, the government needs to evaluate the provision and access to clean and safe drinking water to the people of Murang’a even before we can start any other discussion about benefiting from the Jubilee Government’s 1 million-acre irrigation programme. As a county therefore we have agreed that we cannot continue giving water to Nairobi County without ensuring that the people of Murang’a as a priority actually get water,” said Alice.

The MP is demanding for some re-alignment of the current budget allocations so that the political, social and environmental aspects of this project are relooked to the benefit of Murang’a people. To this end, the legislator requested that her Kandara Constituency be allocated with a sh. 1 Billion periodical budget to fully ensure the people got water.

“Hatutaki kumezea maji mate tena. We need to quench our thirst first before this water gets to the first beneficiary in Nairobi,” she said.

Some of the women we spoke said that as the resident, they were not opposed to the project rather all they were asking for was fairness in the whole deal.

The MP was speaking in Mutheru Trading Centre while she was commissioning a water project that will see more than 150 homesteads get clean and safe drinking water.

She questioned the Murang’a County Government’s commitment towards the provision of water adding that water being a devolved responsibility, it was their duty to ensure that more people accessed clean water. She also chided the high water charges that were levied to the people by the county government saying that this was a matter that needed to be addressed urgently.

She was also at war with the devolved unit for breaking its promise to assist in the upgrading of Kandara Hospital into Bildad Kagia Level 4 Hospital.

“In terms of our population, Kandara is the second largest constituency in Murang’a and it is quite unfortunate that the residents continue to suffer in terms of accessing proper health services. We had, from the beginning engaged the county government and the governor committed a 10 million shillings annually, money that has never been remitted to date even though this project falls under his docket,” she said.

However, Alice has promised to pursue other sources to see to it that the dream of Kandara people came to reality.