Anxiety is mounting in Kenya over the fate of a Tokyo-funded power project after a meeting between the Japanese ambassador to Kenya and Kenyan officials failed to produce the Japanese funds needed to complete the project, officials said Tuesday.
Officials from both sides said the delay in the disbursement of a loan to finish the controversial Sondu-Miriu hydroelectric plant in western Kenya is causing Kenyans and other participants to worry.
"Due to the delay, local communities and other stakeholders are concerned about its fate," Raphael A. Kapiyo, secretary of the project's technical committee, told Kyodo News.
The project, located along the shores of Lake Victoria, initially provoked opposition due to displacement fears and environmental concerns.