ANGOLOLO WATER PROJECT WAS BUSIA GOVERNOR’S INITIATIVE- NELTAC
The Nile Equatorial Lakes Technical Advisory Committee (NELTAC) has lauded Busia Governor, H.E Sospeter Ojaamong for his initiatives on pushing for the actualization of the Angololo Water Resources Development Project.
In his welcoming remarks during a workshop meeting to review on the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), and Ressentlement Action Plan (RAP) and Compensation Framework at Tourist Hotel in Bungoma Town, NELTAC Member, Chrispine Omondi Juma said the Governor is exiting from the County Government heads high.
” The second Governor of Busia County should ride on the project his successor was its brainchild. It’s only unfortunate that the project that will benefit over 270,000 residents in Kenya and Uganda will be implemented when he is out of office,” Juma said.
He added: ” The incoming Governor should also ensure the trickle down effect to the public. Committment pledged through co-inputs by stakeholders has helped strenghen the reports.”
Acting Water Executive, Dr Moses Osia said the Angololo project is a milestone for Kenya and Uganda, noting that apart from benefiting 270,000 people, over 4000 acres of land in Kenya and Uganda will be placed under irrigation.
” Farmers will benefit from the project which will also help strengthen ties and collaboration between the two nations,” he said, adding that there is need to allign the project structures to those of the government.
Dr Osia said the County Government of Busia is giving priority to some lucrative projects being fronted by NELSAP and which requires part contribution to kick-start their implementation.
Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) Regional Coordinator, Dr Isaac Alukwe said the workshop was arranged to allow the Environment and Social Consultants to present to stakeholders the interim findings of their studies.
” When the Environmental and Social studies get completed, the final findings of the studies will be presented to more stakeholders, including the Project Affected Persons (PAPs),” he said.
Dr Alukwe revealed that the technical peer review members for Angololo project nominated by the governments of Kenya and Uganda completed the technical review of the reports.
Engineer Dismas Angura Odula, Director Irrigation and Land Reclamation, County Government of Busia, is a member of the technical peer review committee.
The Angololo project studies are funded by the New Partnership for East Africa’s Development – Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF) and managed by African Development. The grant financing agreement was signed on March 14th, 2019.
The overall goal of the Angololo Water Resources Development project is ” to sustainably improve both countries’ socio-economic development through water resources development and management, encompassing food mitigation, irrigation development, electricity generation, fisheries development , and domestic and livestock water supply.
Busia County was represented by Chief Officer Water and Sewerage, Hellen Mukanda, Directors Water and Sewerage James Imwene, Dennis Chirande ( Environment and Natural Resources), MCAs, Benard Papa (Malaba Central), Patrick Omanyala(Malaba North)/and Teso North Sub County Administrator, Zipporah Amoit.
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