I am a Victim, Not a Killer – Solai Dam Owner

By Virginia Mwangi

Perry Mansukh, owner of the Solai dam death trap which led to the deaths of 48 lives upon its collapse on May 9 2018, on Wednesday claimed to have also been a victim seeking to free himself from blame over the tragedy.

Mr. Perry told Senators at the ad-hoc committee, investigating the tragedy, that he was uncomfortable facing them over the dam tragedy since the deaths had drained him emotionally as the community is dear to him.

The businessman was hence represented by his lawyer, Evans Monari.

“The refrain that 48 people died is gaining credence in this country and you are forgetting that there were people who were injured, who lost property and who are still alive. We don’t take ourselves seriously as a country if the deaths of 48 people in Solai can make us come here and answer questions against our Constitution,” noted Lawyer Monari after Nairobi Senator, Johnson Sakaja, remarked on the seriousness of the deaths.

Mr. Sakaja accused Perry of disregarding the Kenyan law challenging him to prove that the commercial activities he carried out on his farm, including the dam that had claimed and destroyed lives, were duly approved for according to the law. “Your claim that all your activities have been licensed is contested by various government agencies,” he said.

Water CS, Simon Chelugui, had previously appeared before the committee and reported that the collapsed dam was an illegal structure without any of the required licensing.

Environment Cabinet Secretary, Keriako Tobiko, on Tuesday, appeared before the committee and told the Senators that the Patel dams in Solai, were illegal and no environmental impact assessment (EIA) had been done during and before construction.

Dams around the Solai farm are namely Marminet, Main House, Moi, Nursery, Spring, Game sanctuary, Garage, Centre, and Tindresh.