Economics and truth in Murang’a’s water

The main rivers that drain into the dam from Kimakia and Gatare natural forests (part of the Aberdare Ranges) are Thika, Githika and Kayuyu, according to the Athi Water website. Athi Water owns the dam, which is operated by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company.PHOTO: STANDARD

The building of a tunnel to divert water from three rivers – Gikigie, Mathioya and Irati – to Ndakaini Dam, which is in Thika River, has rattled lots of politicians.

The main rivers that drain into the dam from Kimakia and Gatare natural forests (part of the Aberdare Ranges) are Thika, Githika and Kayuyu, according to the Athi Water website. Athi Water owns the dam, which is operated by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company.

Some support the project while others oppose it.

Last week, I decided in the spirit of objectivity to visit Ndakaini and seek the truth on the ground.

Ndakaini is only 80 kilometres from Nairobi. On the way, I stopped to admire one of the most beautiful churches in Kenya, Gatanga Catholic Church, built in 1910. It has baptism records from 1917 to the present – do researchers realise such records are a goldmine?

Ndakaini is a beautiful place. The tea farms look like green curtains, while Ndakaini Dam makes the place feel and look like another planet. How many tourists visit this dam? Can we think beyond the Big Five? This is the land of Prophet Mugo wa Kibiru, and memories of bombings during the Mau Mau era are still alive. Add the Aberdares and Mt Kenya in the background, and the place looks incredible.

What are the issues on the ground? Is the ‘tunnel of death’ real?

But politicians are skirting the main issue: water scarcity against a rising population. Just look at the census the last 50 years.

The issue of water is not unique to Ndakaini; it is a national and global issue. Unfortunately, water has no substitute. While the amount of water in the universe is constant, its accessibility and usability are not.

Water rights

The natives of Ndakaini feel they are neglected despite being custodians of the dam and its catchment area. They ask in whispers why they can’t use its water, even if it means paying an affordable rate.

Their feelings were captured by one elder: “Muiritu mwega ageragira thome wa ngia.” (A good girl bypasses the homestead of a poor man because he can’t afford the dowry.)

The residents feel they do not benefit from the dam, yet Nairobians pay for the water. They ask why Maasai Mara does not belong to the national government. The political and economic consciousness among the hoi polloi is amazing.

The locals see the economic value of the water, particularly for irrigation; they dream of farming and see rapidly growing Thika as their market. There seems to be a growing realisation that they need to go beyond tea and grow food crops as the population grows.

What is playing out in Murang’a is clearly not politics, but economics. The Aberdares, Mau Forest and Mt Kenya catchments remain constant, but the demand for water keeps going up. How do you balance the two? California has a similar problem to Kenya. How do you share water between water-rich and water-hungry areas?

Thirsty nation

The solution lies in determining the water rights for all stakeholders. Ndakaini natives, and drier counties all the way to the Coast need water, so how do you share it out equitably, irrespective of economic status?

In the last two months, I have made two trips up the Aberdares. I will soon share with you what I was doing. The moorlands are very fragile and unlikely to become bigger any time. They provide life-giving rivers to arid Laikipia, Samburu and adjoining counties, in addition to other counties on the leeward side, such as Machakos and Kitui.

How do we increase the amount of water available to a thirsty nation, both for consumption and industrial use? In urban centres, we attract tenants with the promise of boreholes, but even these are exhaustible.

There is no doubt that once the tunnel is complete, and water is piped to Nairobi, there will be a shortage in a few years. With all the high-rise buildings coming up, the demand for water will keep going up.

It is tempting to attempt to reduce the demand for water by increasing prices – but water is not like any other good. It is life.

What about more prudent use of water? Why get water from Ndakaini 80 kilometres away to flush toilets? Why not use pressure like in planes? Why do we get water from that far? Why not from Nairobi River – and do not say it’s polluted?

Increasing the price of water and using some of that money to help conserve water catchment areas makes a lot of economic sense. If water catchment areas can be rehabilitated, more water would be available.

Rural people have as much a right to water and other national resources as Nairobians. It is time all stakeholders sat together and agreed on water rights.

Politics and the coming elections aside, it is time to address the water question. Like most other national problems, it has ripened and this is our moment of truth. Let us confront it.

The writer is senior lecturer, University of Nairobi. [email protected]