Kwale residents demand share of jobs in Kshs. 20B Mwache Dam

Residents of Kinango Ward in Kwale County are protesting what they term as lack of fair share of employment in the Kshs. 20 billion Mwache Multipurpose Dam.

The residents have said the contractor, Syno Hydro has failed to honour its promise of employing more locals in the construction of the dam which was scheduled to commence in last month.

The project has been delayed as the Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering firm awaits the government to finalize the land compensation exercise.

According to the irate residents, the compensation package of between Kshs. 250, 000 to Kshs. 300, 000 per acre was too low.

At least 12,000 people will be displaced by the project which requires 250,000 hectares of land.

The project is funded by World Bank and the Kenya government through the Kenya Water Security Programme.

They argue that a stakeholders meeting including local and county administration, coast water and the residents took place where it was agreed they were going to be given first priority.

A committee was set up to represent the people of Fulugani, Mwashanga, Mwache and Nunguni villages among others to discuss the distribution of the job opportunities available.

But the residents claimed that the job opportunities were not forthcoming as excavators and other equipment were brought on-site two weeks ago.

“No work will go on until we are involved, a bigger percentage of the project is in Fulugani, ” said Mwambire Haranga.

Haranga who spoke on behalf of the angry residents added that they were not against the project but were only demanding their fair share of the job opportunities as earlier promised.

“We will not allow a driver or fundi from outside to come in here, we have people who can do such activities in the villages,” he said

He however stated that they were not against the construction of the dam, but were just demanding their fair share of the opportunities.

His sentiments were echoed by Njala Nyiro who questioned why the interviews for drivers and machine operators were conducted in Kilifi County yet the project is in Kwale.

Nyiro further said that the five years’ experience demanded was going to lock them out.

“We want interviews to be conducted here in Kwale and not Kilifi, furthermore how do you expect a fresh graduate to have five years’ experience,” she asked.

Hamisi Ndego said that the long wait made them lose hope in the project, but wondered why they were not called for the interviews when the jobs were advertised.

“There is no way we are going to allow people from outside to work here while we have youths who are unemployed, give us what you promised,” said Ndego.

He blamed their political leaders for failing to intervene and address the matter.

“The fruits of the project that we were promised must include job opportunities. We have the skills needed, if we don’t have we will tell you to seek another person from outside,” he added.

The acting CEO of Coast Water Works Development Agency, Martin Tsuma accused local leaders of frustrating the matter.

Tsuma however did not disclose much about the mega project promising to do so at a later date.

He only responded via text saying, “Let me talk to the supervising engineer. They have to be given an opportunity to work on-site. I had told them so.”

Once completed, the flagship project under Vision 2030 is expected to eradicate the problem of water shortage in the counties of Kwale, Mombasa, and Kilifi.

The 87.5 meter-tall concrete gravity dyke will be able to hold 118 million cubic meters of water.

About 2,600 hectares of land will also be put under irrigation.

The contract for the project was signed in 2018 with construction expected to take seven years.