BY MANUEL ODENY

South Kanyamkago ward residents in Migori county are counting loses of farm land and property after a multi-billion water project by African Development Bank turned into an eye-sore.

Over a decade ago, over Sh1.29billion water project was initiated to draw water from River Oyani in Uriri su-county, treat it before supplying Migori town with the precious comodity.

But 44 homesteads around Oyani river have moved to court to seek compensation complaining of negative effects on the environment which they said was caused by lack of public participation.

Alfred Sagwa Mudeizi, said in 2012 they supported the implementation of the project but started to raise queries over public participation as they felt it was going to negatively cause environment impact.

“For over a decade while others have been benefiting from this project in South Kanyamkago we have seen the intake area flooding and breaking with concrete pipes leaking turning our farms into useless land,” Mudeizi said.

He was speaking at Oyani intake point where representatives of the 44 homestead held special prayers and called for President William Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome to ensure their pleas in court are heard by appointing a judge in the Migori High Court Environment and Lands Court.

The intake point is next to where Sigiria stream joins Oyani river and because of blockage and heavy rains, backflow water have affected lands and homesteads upstream for over a kilometer.

Concrete pipes also used to draw water from the intake to the treatment area have broken down and leak turning farms into flood pits.

Residents said two main roads connecting Uriri Technical College, Bware Secondary School, Bware Primary School, Kolwal Primary School, local British American Tobacco (BAT) and other main centers have been cut off.

“We had a bridge which was constructed by colonialists in 1930, it had never flooded over river Oyani until this project came and often pupils and residents have been stranded,” Mudeizi said.

Silpa Odera, said in her 15 acres of land 4 acres have been rendered useless because of the problem by the poor design of the project.

“I have been forced to scale down on what i used to earn from my sugarcane farm because of this problem,” he said.

Councillor Madegwa said an acre of land at the intake area which was a thriving nursery farm with plans to putting up plans have stalled and rendered useless after water was diverted to it completely turning the area useless.

“I stopped the nursery project and i cant build in the parcel despite it being next to Oyani center because the river got diverted inside here,” Madegwa said.

Paul Owiti a resident with two acres of land said he has been watching for the past decade as river Oyani diverted into his farm and has been chirping away soil in his parcel.

“I live in an acre of land and the other i used for farming, now my farm is gone and soon with continued heavy rains the water may break and sweep away my homestead,” Owiti said.

The three said the project has added more mystery in their lives and their attempts to have the matter resolved out of court or through a judicial process has bore no fruits.

“Each time we move to court our case stalls because there are no judges, and each letter we write to relevant authorities are met with stone walls,” Owiti said.

Raphael Onjako, a retired teacher said he was looking forward to life as a farmer on his three hectares land before 2.5 hectares of it was turned into a swamp because of leaking concrete pipes.

“I live along the line where water is pumped from the intake point to the treatment plant, these concrete pipes leak throughout the year and started when project kicked off,” Onjako said.

He said attempts at public participation to change the concrete pipes into durable and secure epoxy pipes met deaf ears and they were threatened into silence with promises of compenstation.

“The compensation never came despite our farms being taken to lay these pipes, and then water started seeping on the ground throughout the year,” Onjako said.

His land, which was his main source of income was suddenly turned into a swampy area killing crops, causing diseases and forcing his children to look for alternative places to build their homesteads.

Residents said they have managed to seek redress from the national government and the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA) where a survey established that an area of 26,805 acres of land was affected by the project failure.

Out of this, 42.37 acres was rendered useless.

The residents have been seeking redress in court under the constitutional petition number 6 of 2023 at Migori High Court, but lack of judge have stalled their case.

“We are open for an out of court settlement as a community and have tried all avenues, but our problems get worse in each two rainy seasons and we need it solved completely,” Mudeizi said.

Apart from full compensation, residents are demanding that the concrete pipes be replaced by epoxy ones and the intake area to be redesigned to avoid back flow flooding.