The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Blue Economy and Fisheries Chaired by Hon. Kangogo Bowen met officials of the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation led by the Cabinet Secretary Hon. Alice Wahome, and the Principal Secretary for Irrigation Mr. Mugambi Gitonga. The team appeared before the Committee to provide clarifications and respond to questions concerning their submissions.

The Committee raised several concerns which included the deceleration in the advancement of dam projects, the allocation of funds towards new dams, the feasibility of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Northern Kenya, the equitable distribution of water projects across regions, and the imperative of ensuring accountability for allocated project funding.

Hon. Bowen raised concerns with the State Department's decision to promote a project which is 71 percent complete, as a public-private partnership (PPP), despite the fact that the majority of the project's cost has been covered by taxpayers' money.

According to the Chair, this amounts to wasteful expenditure of public resources and undermines the intended purpose of granting substantial control to private partners when the Government has contributed the lion's share of financing. 

Hon. Bowen proposed that funds should no longer be allocated to new projects while there are existing ones nearing completion. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing the completion of stalled projects, allowing Kenyans to reap their benefits rather than embarking on new ventures that would require years to finish.

“If a project such as Umma Dam is 71 percent complete, how do you advertise it under the PPP yet taxpayers' money has been used to fund it? Are you willing to withdraw money from the new projects to reallocate it to the stalled one? ” asked Hon. Bowen.

In her response, the CS stated that the Ministry is not willing to allocate money towards the completion of a project that does not have proper evaluation reports. 

Making his contribution, Hon. Mohammed  Adow (Wajir South) conveyed his apprehension with the absence of the Government of Kenya (GoK) funds allocation to Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions, emphasizing that the State Department's reliance on donor funding for Northern Kenya. He highlighted the disproportionate distribution among regions, highlighting an inequitable divide.

Hon. William Kamket (Tiaty) asked the State Department to consider constructing natural dams on water bodies such as Lake  Baringo so as to enhance the uptake of irrigation in the Baringo region to help curb drought and food insecurity in the region.

PS Mugambi acknowledged that the discrepancy was an oversight on their part and assured the Committee that a thorough error check would be conducted, then resubmit corrected documents.