A National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) employee has told court that the Kenya Forest Service had an issue with the construction of Aror and Kimwarer dams.
Gedion Rotich told Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi that the project started with a report on environmental impact assessment which was dispatched to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, KFS, Ministry of Water and Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA).
The court heard that KFS had an issue with the construction of the dams due to destruction of the forest and therefore, halted the commencement of the project.
The multi-billion dams were allocated 570 hectares of land after.
According to Gedion, KFS later changed its position and gave provisional conditions to KVDA in 2018. The conditions included the start of reforestation at the surrounding area where the dams were to be constructed.
He added that KVDA was commissioned to ensure resettlement of the locals and subsequent compensation.
In the case, former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich is charged alongside nine others with the Sh 63 billion dam case.
Some of the co-accused include former Chief Economist Kennedy Nyakundi, former Kerio Valley Development Authority boss David Kimosop and former National Environment Management Authority Managing Director Geoffrey Wahungu
The hearing will continue on 5th December 2022.
