The proposed revival of the multi-billion-shilling Kocholya/Keng’atuny Dam project has sparked fresh concerns among residents of Teso North Sub-County, who are demanding transparency and comprehensive public participation before the project proceeds.
Residents of Kosenyi, Mwari, Aboloi, Kakoli and neighbouring areas have questioned the basis for reviving the project, citing concerns over land acquisition, compensation, resettlement and the potential impact on ancestral graves and culturally significant sites.
In an open letter to Teso North MP Oku Kaunya, the residents, through Nicholas Immo Spear, said they support development projects but want the proposed Ksh5.5 billion dam implemented transparently and in consultation with all affected communities.
They also called for investigations into land transactions in the proposed project area, alleging that some political leaders and government officials may have taken advantage of residents’ lack of information to acquire land at low prices.
Spear said residents should have been adequately informed about the project’s potential impact on their land and livelihoods before any transactions took place.
The residents want the identities of individuals or proxies who acquired land in the project area established. They further want those who allegedly bought land from unsuspecting residents at unfair prices to either return the parcels or compensate the original owners at current market rates.
They also raised concerns about the possible impact of the dam on ancestral graves and other culturally significant sites, saying the Iteso attach great importance to their ancestors and burial rites.
The residents questioned the credibility of an earlier public participation exercise allegedly held at Hotel Levantes in Amagoro, claiming that it largely involved elderly women who had not been adequately informed about the nature and scale of the proposed project.
Spear said a project of such magnitude requires comprehensive consultations involving all potentially affected communities.
The residents want detailed information on the proposed dam’s boundaries, the number of households likely to be affected, compensation arrangements, resettlement plans and its environmental, social and cultural impact.
They also want communities living downstream of the proposed dam included in the consultations, arguing that homes, businesses, farms and other property could be exposed to flooding should the dam break its banks.
“Public participation should also involve the communities living downstream. You cannot purport to conduct public participation about a mega dam and leave out people living downstream,” Spear said.
The residents cited the Ang’ololo Dam project along the Kenya-Uganda border as an example of a development project that, in their view, benefited from greater transparency and community engagement.
They stressed that they were not opposed to dams or development, but want the Kocholya/Keng’atuny project undertaken in a manner that protects land rights and livelihoods.
“We support the construction of dams by the government and development partners, but please do it the right way, transparently and with the highest degree of integrity,” Spear said.
The residents have appealed to MP Kaunya to champion their concerns and ensure that no affected resident is dispossessed or disadvantaged in the name of development.
