Money down the drain: scandal of Kenya’s failed dams reveals a country drowning in debt

News Snapshot:

Two major dam projects in east Africa have cost the Kenyan government £80m despite having never been built, it has been revealed. The insurance bill was for the Arror and Kimwarer dams, planned to bring power and water to half a million people. An Italian construction firm was commissioned. Trees were earmarked for removal, and around 800 people told they would be moved out of the flooded area. Six years later, and the proposed dams are emblematic of Kenya’s slide into debt, with only limited benefits from new infrastructure. Questions around why insurance was paid on the loans related to...