Stakeholders from Kenya and Uganda met at the Tourist Hotel in Bungoma Town on Friday to review the draft final Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Resettlement Action Plan and Compensation Framework reports for the Angololo Water Resource Development Project.
Delegates from Kenya were drawn from the Ministries of Water, Environment, Water Resource Authority, NEMA and many other agencies in the Government of Kenya and also representatives of Uganda and various stakeholders from the County Government of Busia in Kenya.
Addressing the press, the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) Regional Coordinator , Dr Isaac Alukwe said ESIA and RAP for the Angololo project is being implemented by the Nile Basin Initiative via its investment arm, NELSAP that is based in Kigali, Rwanda.
” Specific objective of this project is that we intend to provide clean energy to serve the community around the project area. The trans boundary Multipurpose project is vital for food security. It’s also a regional economic activity in the project area which will strenghen transboundary co-operation between Kenya and Uganda,” he said.
He added: ” The goal of Angololo project is to build resilience and adaptation to climate change which will see the local community benefit from the R. Malakisi natural resource, adding that it will empower the community economically.
Dr Alukwe said the feasibility study is funded by the African Development Bank, noting that the Feasibility Study, detailed design and preparation of tender documents, ESIA and RAP is going to cost US Dollars 1.5million at the end of November, with Kenya and Uganda contributing $75,000 each as a sign of owning the project.
” The two countries that are sharing the resource should consider including it in their budgets and County Strategic Plans, adding that the ADB has already prioritized through the AUDA /NEPAD via its PIDA PAP II projects facility for full implementation, adding that the project once implemented will cost $107m.
Busia delegation was led by Acting County Executive Committee Member for Water, Irrigation, Environment, Natural Resource and Climate Change, Dr Moses Osia. Others included Chief Officers, Roselyne Barasa (Irrigation, Environment, National Resources and Climate Change), Hellen Mukanda ( Water and Sewerage), Directors, Dismas Odula (Irrigation), James Imwene (Water and Sewerage), BUWASSCO MD, Erick Ojiambo Nakitari, Irrigation Officer Teso North and Teso South, Patrick Andera, MCAs, Bernard Papa (Malaba Central), Patrick Omanyala (Malaba North) and Teso North Sub County
Administrator, Zipporah Amoit.
Dr Osia said as a County Government they are committed to the implementation of the project which upon completion will benefit 207,000 people along the project area improve their socio-economic status.
The workshop was formally closed by Ocen Robert on behalf of Tororo Residence District Commissioner, Nixon Owole. Tororo is among three districts in Uganda that will benefit from the multipurpose project. Others are Manafwa and Namisibwa.
Ocen said the trans boundary Angololo project will besides improving communities livelihoods, help mitigate the effect of Climate Change which had been occasioned by people tampering with natural resources like wetlands and forests.
” The planned dam will help contain the effects of climate change and environmental degradation,” he said, and wished Kenyans peaceful elections during the August 9, 2022 polls.
Head of Kenyan delegation Eng Chrispin Juma described the project as long overdue, thus the need by consultants to expedite its completion.
The Angololo Water Resource Development Project (AWDP) was identified by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda in collaboration with NELSAP within the Sio-Malaba-Malakisi basin.
The project will focus on developing viable multipurpose infrastructure and non structural interventions for irrigation and livestock development, water supply, hydropower, flood control, aquaculture and catchment improvement in the project area.
The dam site is located at Kamachar village in Angurai North Ward in Teso North Sub County. The project in Uganda is located in two districts, six sub counties and 26 villages while in Kenya it covers one county (Busia), one Sub County (Teso North), one Ward and nine villages.
