An aerial view of pineapples growing on Del Monte Kenya Limited farm. There is huge interest in the Del Monte lands where more land is being targeted for both public and private takeovers.
When President William Ruto visited Murang’a County on October 30, 2022 and revealed a mega plan for Sh57 billion dams in the devolved unit, little did he know he was brewing a feud that would engulf the entire region.
The President announced that Maragua's Sh900 million dam was complete and others worth Sh57 billion will be built in Maragua, Kangema, Kiharu and Kigumo constituencies to solve the water crisis in the region once and for all.
The biggest of all, the President announced, was the Sh45 billion project scheduled to be constructed at Gatara at the intersection of the four constituencies.
Each of the area constituencies, Dr Ruto explained, will have a dam by close of his term as a measure to solve domestic and irrigation water crisis.
The announcement saw area leaders start underground movements aimed at taking control of the huge budgets and accrued benefits, big names now being dropped as possible antagonists in the war for the billions of shillings involved in the mega projects.
Besides reaping from water and sewerage service rates, the dams will usher in lucrative tenders in the construction works and land compensation committees with embedded interests in the Del Monte lands where more land is being targeted for both public and private takeovers.
President Ruto made the remarks on Saturday at Maai Mahiu, Nakuru County, where he commissioned 90 MVA Naivasha Special Economic Zone Sub-Station.
According to Kangema MP Mr Peter Kihungu, "Del Monte company has been ordered to cede some of its expansive lands to county governments of Kiambu and Murang'a but share out formula is a big issue".
Mr Kihungi said there are some elements who are floating untenable proposals that the ceded land be allocated private individuals "but my position is that part of it should be reserved for those displaced by the proposed dams".
Such considerations have created political camps in the county that are tussling for factional interests, the stakes so high as ingrained in possible monetary and land gains.
There will also be opportunities to connect residents with both irrigation and domestic use water, which is a political investment by those who will emerge as champions of the cause with an on 2027 and 2032 election politics that have since sprouted.
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu now warns that the wars that have at times seen some leaders publicly insult each other might affect the delivery plan for the dams and make the political atmosphere toxic to a point of making the president shun the region.
“It is true that the dams have ushered in high stake politics in the county and all the noises you hear are canny tussles to control the benefits. As the conflict rages among leaders, the common mwananchi waiting for safe drinking and irrigation water continues to suffer disease and hunger burdens,” he said.
The tussles started on January 6, 2023 when Woman Rep Betty Maina accused the then Water CS Alice Wahome of “behaving like a plumber instead of a government minister” in the water issues.
Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) staff protest against alleged interference of the company’s operations by former Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria at Kabiruini showground in Nyeri County during the water companies games closing ceremony in August 2018.
Ms Wahome was being accused of amassing the benefits for herself while excluding others, a position that was supported by Maragua MP Mary Wamaua.
Ms Wahome was to come out dismissing the onslaught as “emanating from misguided political girls who think even their mentors were of their age”.
She added that “I tried my best to plan for more dams in that region so that drinking water connectivity could hit an average of 90 per cent by 2032 and irrigation water found at least 300 schemes by the same period”.
The wars have also graduated to Murang’a North (Kiharu, Kangema and Mathioya) versus Murang’a South (Gatanga, Kandara, Kigumo and Maragua) political enmity that has persisted since 2013 General Elections.
The two sides have Maragua River as their boundary where the north has since devolution produced the governor despite it's inferior numbers. In 2013 and 2017 the area clinched the governor, senator and woman rep positions while the south only managed the flowery deputy governor slot.
With the proposed dams and Del Monte lands control politics--lands that are also in the south--political alliances for the control have also emerged, some being coalitions between the two divides.
At the fore is Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) that has Daniel Ng’ang’a as the managing director operating in the north and Murang’a South Water and Sanitation Company (Muswasco) headed by Mary Nyaga and operating in the south.
Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata while appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts (CPA) Committee on March 21, 2023, over queries in the Auditor General report for Muranga County County Executive.
Senator Nyutu said the dams being in the south were supposed to be the preserve of Muswasco but some leaders in the north wanted Muwasco to also bite a piece of the pie.
“That is how the issue of boundaries that marks Muwasco and Muswasco jurisdictions came to the fore, governor (Irungu) Kang’ata already sanctioning Muwasco to operate in the south hence igniting another wave of war,” said Mr Mwaura Murira who is the Murang'a South Water Users Welfare Group chairman.
The issue has become such a hot potato where Wamaua is now accusing the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) of fueling the wars.
Wamaua’s beef with the Wasreb is premised in the directive to stop Muwasco from venturing into thesouth from the north. She insists that Muwasco should be allowed to connect her region with water, saying Muswasco has failed, pundits reading the declaration as an alliance between the north and the south political divides.
She accused Wasreb of working against Mr Kang’ata’s administration that has sought to sanction Muwasco’s venture into the south.
Ms Wamaua dismisses the north and south political divide as useless and divisive narrative “since Murang’a county is one and it does not matter who is serving us as long as the end result is more water connections for my people”.
County water chief executive, Ms Mary Magochi, told Nation.Africa that “the most ideal point of convergence should be where all the interests raging in this fiasco will be people driven”.
She said “the informing agenda should be to serve as many people possible with water without discriminating any region based on imaginary boundaries since all the water politics are using the people as the pawn".
Wasreb’s chief executive, Mr Julius Itunga, told Nation.Africa that the complexities in the conflict will be thrashed out to emerge with a common agenda that serves the interests of area people.
He said “we will be guided by the requirements of section 86 of the Water Act 2016 as well as read together with articles 10, 43, 60 and 232 of the constitution (2010)”.
Mr Itunga philosophically said; “I am optimistic that we will sit and agree on the due process for review of areas of service for the two water service providers in Murang’a county guided by the law and the aspirations of the county government as well as discuss regulatory compliance for the two providers in the management of all opportunities presenting themselves”.
