Kidero orders immediate reconnection of water to schools

Madaraka Primary School was one of the institutions whose water had been disconnected over unpaid bills. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Schools that had their water disconnected over unpaid bills will now have supply after Governor Evans Kidero ordered the water company to reconnect them.

Kidero yesterday told the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) to immediately reconnect water to schools that had gone without for three months.

The company had disconnected water to the 16 city schools over a bill totaling Sh41 million that had accrued over one year.

“I am ordering the water company to reconnect water to the schools and the City government will pay the bill once everything is sorted out,” said Kidero.

Management of schools

The governor claimed that the primary and secondary schools whose water supply had been cut off were managed by the national government, which had failed to pay for the service. He was speaking during a meeting with officials from NCWSC and principals and head teachers from the affected schools at City Hall.

He said the law prohibits the county government from spending money for the management of the primary and secondary schools and it was only in charge of early childhood development centres and technical training facilities.

He, however, said the county government had prepared a memorandum of understanding to be signed by the National Government which would allow it to contribute in the management of primary and secondary schools in the city.

“We were almost signing the MOU with the previous education Cabinet secretary, but since Fred Matiang’i took over office we have not been able to. Once it is signed the county government will pay off the Sh41m debt,” he said.

NCWSC chairman Raphael Nzomo said some of the outstanding bills have accrued for a long time and there was no indication by the Government that it was going to pay them, thus the company had to disconnect the water.

“By close of business today the schools will have water. The national government should sign the memorandum of understanding because when the schools were under the county they used to honour their debt,” said Nzomo.

Signing MoU

Visa Oshwal head teacher Njoroge Ithagu welcomed the directive by the governor, saying it would work to the benefits of the students. He said that no school in the city could afford to pay for water and echoed Nzomo’s sentiments that the National Government should sign the memorandum of understanding.

“We receive a monthly bill of Sh150,000 each month for water alone against an allocation of Sh2 million annually meant to cater for all school activities,” he said.