City taps to remain dry as wrangles in firm continue

Workers of Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company demonstrating outside their offices in Industrial Area in July. [File, Standard]

There seems to be no end in sight for water woes as wrangles intensify between the management and workers of the city water firm.

The county government has made good its threat to suspend the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company board, citing serious allegations of misconduct by the members.

In a letter addressed to the chairperson of the board, signed by Acting County Secretary Leboo Ole Morintat, the county government suspended the operations of the board pending investigations into the matter.

Solid ground

The board led by Raphael Nzomo, however, held that they were not aware of any misconduct by the members.

“I am not aware of any misconduct by the board. My integrity has never been questioned. I therefore welcome the investigations,” said Mr Nzomo.

The misconduct, the union claims, includes dismissal of company directors without a solid ground, advertising for the positions left vacant and being in the panel of interviewers for the position.

“The board cannot dismiss, advertise and still interview the people for the management position unless they have their own interest,” said the union officials.

Nzomo trashed the accusations, saying the union’s move was in bad faith and was meant to curtail the process of ending the rot in the company.

“The adverts for the directors’ posts will be done by a consultancy firm in accordance with our Memorandum of Association. Short-listing will also be done by them. This is very clearly stipulated in our memoranda and laws guiding us,” said Nzomo.

Best services

“We want more than anything for city residents to get the best water and sewerage services possible. I believe that my board shares this clear vision with Governor Mike Sonko,” said Nzomo.

The trend of internal disputes in the NCWSC, the county government and the union has seen the people of Nairobi suffer for years.

Water crisis in Nairobi first hit the residents hard in 2014 after water and sewerage projects worth more than Sh10 billion stalled for lack of a board to approve their financing.

The company ran without a board in place after former chairman Peter Kuguru contested the appointment of George Aladwa as his successor.

The mega projects undertaken by the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company had been approved by a board appointed by Governor Evans Kidero before it was sued.

The Kidero board, which was being chaired by Raphael Nzomo in an acting capacity, was set to begin construction of a raw water pipeline from Mataara in Gatundu North to Ng’ethu water works.

The pipeline would pass through Kabete before supplying water to estates along Mombasa Road.

Although the board had approved the project, its construction never started.