Nyaribari Masaba residents demand answers over stalled water project, back audit

A section of residents in Nyaribari Masaba Constituency, Kisii County, are demanding answers over the unexplained suspension of the multi-million-shilling Itangi Water Project, saying the delay has dashed hopes of ending decades of chronic water shortages.

The growing frustration comes amid a formal petition by Ichuni MCA Wycliff Siocha to the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) National Secretariat, seeking an urgent independent audit into the project’s implementation and the immediate resumption of construction works.

The Itangi Water Project, financed under the FLLoCA programme, was expected to provide clean and reliable water to thousands of households, schools, health facilities and trading centres across Ichuni and the neighbouring Nyamasibi Ward.

The project was widely welcomed when construction began, but work reportedly came to an abrupt halt without any official explanation, according to Siocha.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, the MCA questioned the circumstances under which the contractor allegedly abandoned the site, saying residents and local leaders had been left in the dark.

“It is unacceptable that a project funded using public resources can simply stop without any formal communication to the people it is meant to serve.

“The residents deserve transparency and accountability. We are demanding a comprehensive audit to establish what has happened and ensure this project is completed,” Siocha said.

In his petition to the FLLoCA National Secretariat, Siocha alleged that the contractor was verbally instructed to suspend construction without any written directive or public notice.

He further raised concerns over what he described as governance failures, possible procurement irregularities, poor workmanship and the exclusion of local oversight structures from monitoring the implementation process.

“The people of Ichuni and Nyamasibi cannot continue suffering because of administrative failures. Every shilling allocated to this project must be accounted for, and if there were mistakes, those responsible should be held accountable,” he said.

Residents who spoke to the media expressed fears that the stalled project could become another incomplete public investment that consumes millions of shillings without delivering the intended benefits.

“We celebrated when the machines arrived because we believed our children would finally stop walking for kilometres to fetch water. Today the site is deserted and nobody is telling us what happened. We feel abandoned,” said Beatrice Moraa, a resident of Ichuni.

Another resident, James Onchoke, appealed to both the county and national governments to put aside political differences and prioritise completion of the project.

“Water is not a political issue; it is a basic human need. We are asking leaders to stop blaming one another and instead ensure this project is revived. We only want clean water for our families,” he said.

Community leaders warned that continued delays could not only deny residents access to safe drinking water but also increase the overall cost of the project as inflation drives up the prices of construction materials and labour.

The Itangi Water Project was identified as a flagship intervention under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme, which supports climate-resilient development initiatives identified by local communities.

Reliable access to water is expected to reduce the burden on women and children, improve sanitation, boost agricultural production and strengthen resilience against prolonged dry spells that have increasingly affected parts of Kisii County.

For many years, residents of Ichuni and Nyamasibi have relied on seasonal streams, shallow wells and rainwater harvesting, sources that often dry up during extended dry periods or become contaminated during heavy rains.

Local schools and health facilities have also struggled with unreliable water supplies, affecting hygiene standards and service delivery.

Residents say they will continue demanding accountability until construction resumes, insisting that the promise of clean and safe water should not become yet another unfulfilled government pledge.

County government officials had not publicly responded to the allegations or the petition by the time of publication.