[Source: Business Daily, by Barnabas Bii]
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) will not surrender 400 hectares of forest land, dealing a major blow to the implementation of the controversy-riddled Sh63 billion multi-purpose dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The State agency pulled out of the land exchange programme for the Arror and Kimwarer dams multipurpose project after it was hit by corruption claims that are now under investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
KFS was to surrender 400 hectares of forest land in exchange for 570 hectares from private land surrendered by displaced communities.
The Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) which is the government implementing agency was to acquire about 6,000 acres of land including public forest to set up the twin multi-purpose dams.
According to KVDA Managing Director David Kimosop, 400 hectares of forest land was to be acquired from KFS in exchange for 570 hectares private land from communities displaced by the project.
Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos on Wednesday claimed KFS wrote a letter to stop allocation of the land for the two mega dam projects.
[Full article: Business Daily, by Barnabas Bii]
