The decision by President Uhuru Kenyatta to cancel the Kimwarer dam and scale down the Arror dam projects has left CMC di Ravenna staff and officials stranded.
There has been no clear communication on the fate of the Italian firm which had been contracted by Kerio Valley Development Authority to put up the two dams.
“We are waiting to see what happens,” a senior official who did not want to be named said at the firm’s offices in Eldoret yesterday.
The company is still operating an office in Eldoret despite the row over the Sh63 billion projects in Elgeyo Marakwet county.
Two month’s ago, CMC di Ravenna scaled down its staff from more than 190 to less than 30 at the liaison office on the 13th floor of the KVDA Plaza.
President Uhuru acted on a report by a technical team formed to look into the viability of the two dams to issue the directives.
The team found that the two dams had been overpriced and that Kimwarer was not viable. It proposed that the Arror project should be scaled down.
CMC officials had two months ago said they were ready to start construction work on the dams.
They could, however, not proceed with the plan because the firm had no access to the land for the projects.
Arror and Kimwarer dams chief engineer Eva Luongo was not at her office yesterday amid reports that the company may shut down the office due to the uncertainty on the projects.
Three months ago, Luongo indicated that they had finalised initial designs and moved machinery on site.
Among staff who had been deployed in Eldoret were 40 engineers who have since left the region with no work taking off.
The government had gazetted more than 6,500 acres, which were to be acquired from 1,000 families at Arror and Kimwarer.
The affected families have taken back their land after the government failed to relocate and compensate them.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos has asked the families to stay on the land and use it until they are fully compensated.
“We would like to have the projects continue as planned once the government is through with investigations,” Tolgos said.
Yesterday leaders from Keiyo said they would hold demonstrations at Kimwarer over the cancellation of the dam.
Organisers Micah Kigen and Paul Kibet said the demos at Kimwarer begin today.
“We want President Kenyatta to reconsider his decision on the dam that was the only major project for the government in Keiyo,” Kibet said.
The dams’ scandal caused the suspension of Treasury CS Henry Rotich. The CS and top officials from both the Treasury and the KVDA were charged in court.
PS Kamau Thugge, ex-PS Susan Koech, ex-KVDA boss David Kimosop and acting CEO Francis Kipkech, were among others charged.
