There is a need to refurbish abandoned and dilapidated state lodge at the Turkwel Power plant in West Pokot County as a way of attracting tourists and creating employment for the local community.
The state lodge is in a sorry state of its former glory after being neglected for many years due to the insecurity that hit the Turkwel belt years ago.
A spot check at the facility showed dilapidated buildings which are now home to wild animals a place where former retired president Daniel Moi once lived.
Native trees have grown inside the building that was built and used by the French people during construction of the Power plant in the 1980s.
The state lodge constructed twenty-five years ago has been forgotten as visitors from other parts of the country don’t go to sleep there.
Residents in the area are now calling on the county,national governments, and non-governmental organizations to reconstruct the state lodge to provide employment to locals around that area.
“No one stays in the lodge and its is in a dilapidated state.We have been telling area members of parliament to refurbish the lodge for them to use it when they visit this place but this has been falling on deaf ears ,”said Peter Losenyang.
he further added that everything was spoilt and vandalised and nobody cares about the facility.
However, West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin who visited the lodge recently said that the county government will collaborate with K.V.D.A to revive the facility to be a VIP lodge and attract tourists as a way of revenue generation.
“We shall help in the construction of the lodge to attract tourist .It is a good scenario for visitors ,”said Kachapin.
The governor said that it is bad for government resources to be spoilt citing that there is the need to bring back the operations of the facility for area residents to benefit.
“The lodge is near the Turkwel dam which is an attractive site.We shall bring back its life ,”Kachapin said.
At the moment most of the facilities at the Turkwel Power plant remain abandoned and in a dilapidated condition clear evidence of the aftermath of insecurity in the region.
For decades insecurity had hit the area hence contributed to many development activities being halted.
For the last one and a half year peace has resumed in the area and residents need development activities initiated in the area.