Deputy President William Ruto’s aide, Ken Osinde, has been caught up in the multi-billion shilling Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal in which KSh 21 billion meant for the projects was allegedly pocketed by a few individuals. Osinde was mentioned as a director in one of the companies that were subcontracted by controversial Italian company CMC di Ravenna which had been contracted by Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) to construct the dams.
Fresh details emerged on Wednesday, February 27, indicating Osinde is a director at Sanlam General Insurance Ltd, one of the companies whose bosses were summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal. According to the DCI boss George Kinoti, Sanlam General Insurance Ltd was paid KSh 47 million by CMC di Ravenna as a subcontractor in the controversial projects, but it was not clear what kind of services the insurance firm was expected to provide.
“We are pursuing the insurance company to establish what they insured. If they insured the project, then they will have to pay Kenyans for the loss incurred so far,” Kinoti said as quoted by Daily Nation. Sources understand the money that was paid to Sanlam General Insurance Ltd by CMC di Ravenna was part of the KSh 21 billion that was wired to the Italian contractor by the National Treasury and which was to go towards construction of the Arror and Kimwarer dams in Elgeyo-Marakwet.
The KSh 21 billion was part of KSh 65 billion that the Treasury had borrowed from foreign banks, against the advice of former Attorney General Githu Muigai, for the construction of the mega reservoirs. The dams were being built to boost production of hydro-electricity and irrigation within Elgeyo-Marakwet county with the aim of mitigating perennial challenges of drought.
The projects, which were to commence in December 2017, were also geared towards boosting food production and increasing electricity megawatts to the national grid. Two years later, no work has began at the construction sites despite billions of taxpayers money having been spent.