Deputy President William Ruto now says the suspension of Arror and Kimwarer Dams construction was targeted to sabotage him by the government which he is part of.

Ruto had the podium to himself after Raila said he wouldn’t participate in the Tuesday Presidential debate, claimed that the two dams were dropped to punish him.

"Arror and Kimwarer were meant to fail. They were cancelled for political reasons. Both dams were assigned by the national government. They are not projects cooked at night or in a dark corner," said Ruto.

He added,"How comes today the government is in court because the contractor is demanding Ksh.12 billion.

DP Ruto alleged that the government denied the said contractor a land to set up the same projects.

"The reason was that the dams going to be in a forest. I am looking forward on how did the government lost Ksh.20 billion meant for Arror and Kimwarer," Ruto posed.

In September 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta cancelled the projects after receiving a report from a technical committee, which he had formed following the discovery of irregularities and improprieties surrounding the two mega infrastructure projects.

The technical team cancelled the ksh.22.2 billion Kimwarer dam in Keiyo South sub-county, finding that it was overpriced and was not technically or financially viable. But it approved the ksh.28.3 billion Arror dam in Marakwet East sub-county.

The cancellations came in a financial year when Arror dam received ksh.11 billion while an additional Ksh.5.2 billion meant for Kimwarer was wired to Kenya. 

The Spanish firm was supposed to disburse a total of Ksh.74.3 billion repayable over 14 years beginning May 2021.

Ruto said the dams were meant to provide water for the residents of Elgeyo Marakwet to sufficiently roll out irrigation program in the area.

As it stands more than 900 families displaced to make room for the projects have demanded an audit of the ksh.6 billion compensation.

The families have piled pressure on local leaders, including Deputy President William Ruto and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, claiming the two had misled them on compensation.

DP Ruto further blamed the handshake for his troubles saying, the Jubilee Government lost track once President Uhuru and Raila shook hands, blaming the ongoing security crisis in some counties on the same.

“When we came into the handshake arrangement, a false narrative was rolled out that police reservists in Elgeyo Marakwet were a militia, they were withdrawn.”

Ruto also noted he is not a coward and has always taken firm positions in the Cabinet and in public saying every contract signed by the Govt of Kenya should be public.