KISUMU, Kenya, Dec 11 – The government has announced a renewed push to revive stalled national projects in Kisumu County, with officials pledging immediate interventions to unlock financing, accelerate compensation for affected landowners, and restore momentum on key infrastructure works that have dragged for years.
Speaking on Wednesday during a tour of multiple project sites, the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency in the Executive Office of the President of Kenya Eliud Owalo, said the Koru Soin Dam remains a top priority for the administration because of its strategic value to flood control, water supply, irrigation, and power generation across Kisumu and Kericho counties.
Owalo said the project has stalled primarily due to unpaid contractor certificates and outstanding land compensation claims, but affirmed that the government is now moving to resolve both.
He revealed that the State Department for Water has already requested Sh. 900 million shillings from the National Treasury to jump-start the dam’s revival.
“Once that money is released, half of it will go to the contractor so that work resumes immediately, and the other half will go towards compensating affected landowners,” Owalo said.
“This way, we address two long-standing challenges at the same time.”
The Dam, when completed, is expected to store water to mitigate perennial flooding in the Nyando Basin, supply up to 72,000 cubic meters of water daily to residents in two counties, irrigate 11,000 hectares, and generate up to 2.5 megawatts of electricity for the national grid.
Owalo added that the government will convene a joint stakeholder engagement forum bringing together national agencies, county governments of Kisumu and Kericho, local leaders, the National Land Commission, KenGen, KPLC, road agencies, and affected households.
The aim, he said, is to ensure transparency, coordination, and timely problem-solving as the project restarts.
He warned contractors and political actors against practices that have hindered project execution across the country.
Owalo lamented the perpetual habit of contractors taking on more projects than they can handle, sometimes using multiple proxy companies to win several bids simultaneously.
“We are seeing situations where one individual hides behind different companies, wins six or seven projects through undercutting, then runs into capacity problems when implementation begins,” he said.
“We want contractors to only take up what they can execute, and we expect procurement entities to conduct proper due diligence.”
Owalo also cautioned political leaders against interfering with procurement or shielding underperforming contractors.
“Politicians are not engineers,” he said. “They should not use their influence to push for contracts to be awarded to proxies. The government will be guided by the terms of the contract and the contractor’s capacity, not political know-who.”
The government team also inspected the Mamboleo–Miwani–Chemelil road (Lots 1, 2 and 3), the Kabonyo–Kanyagwal fisheries project implemented with the Hungarian government, ongoing affordable housing projects in Kisumu town and Upper Kanyakwar, and the Kisian ESP market.
Owalo said the verification tours are meant to ensure that progress reports submitted in Nairobi match the actual situation on the ground.
He noted that discrepancies have become common, warranting physical checks and immediate interventions where needed.
A recurring challenge, he added, is that funds paid to contractors are sometimes diverted, leading to stalled works despite government fulfilling payment obligations.
He warned that contractors who fail to deliver despite being paid risk blacklisting.
Director Presidential Delivery Unit, western Kenya Sylvance Osele, who accompanied the delegation, described the Koru Soin Dam as a transformative project with far-reaching social and economic benefits for the region.
“This project will be a game changer for Kisumu in terms of flood control, irrigation, food security and job creation,” Osele said.
“Our people have waited for years, and we look forward to compensation being finalized and work resuming without further delay.”
Local leaders who spoke during the tour urged the government to prioritize open, inclusive community engagement before construction resumes.
One representative emphasized the need for a plenary meeting involving all affected families.
Osele called on the county government to remain committed to collaborating with the national government to ensure that longstanding flagship projects are completed.
Owalo further expressed confidence that the major projects in Kisumu will regain momentum, saying they are central to the region’s development agenda and to the government’s broader economic recovery strategy.