Leaders demand say in tapping area water

Local leaders want to be involved in plans to tap more water from South Mathioya River to meet demand in Nairobi.

Speaking during a water stakeholders' forum chaired by Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui, the leaders said they would not allow any water project that did not involve residents.

Governor Mwangi wa Iria and MPs Peter Kimari (Mathioya), Sabina Chege (Murang’a), Ruth Mwaniki (Kigumo), Joseph Nduati (Gatanga), and Alice Wahome (Kandara) accused water agencies of using billions to supply city residents with water while hundreds of local families lacked piped water.

The construction of Phase One of the Athi Water Service Board's (AWSB) Northern Water Collector Tunnel (NWCT) that will cost Sh5.8 billion has started.

The tunnel will collect 140,000 cubic metres from rivers Maragua, Gikigie, and Irati every day to boost supply to Nairobi. The capital has a deficit of 250 million cubic metres.

Other projects set up in the 1980s and 1990s have extracted water from Chania, Kimakia, Kiama, Thika, and Githika rivers, all in Murang'a County.

Local leaders demanded involvement in water projects after it was announced that the site for the construction of Sh39 million dam in Maragua had been identified.

The dam also will supply water to parts of Kigumo and Kandara constituencies.

The leaders also demanded that local water services be placed under AWSB. They said the Tana Water Service Board, which was in charge of all sub-counties except Gatanga, lacked the capacity to carry out the projects.

Ms Mwaniki said there was a need for transparency in setting up the projects and that residents of Kigumo were unaware of the plans despite the fact the facility was being constructed on their land.

“Kigumo is the source of three rivers where water will be abstracted, yet there are no plans to compensate our people,” she said.

The governor asked the CS to honour a promise to provide pipes to facilitate distribution of water to residents

"There is also a need to merge the five water companies for effective monitoring of performance and distribution of funds," Mr wa Iria said.