How cartels are minting millions as residents cry out for water

Water Vendors wait for their turn to fetch water at Kitengela as water shortage continue to bit on Saturday. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Long queues of neighing donkeys and hard cart pullers along Namanga Road with their mountains of yellow water containers are a sign that one is just to enter Kitengela.

On a busy day, an estimated 100 water tankers will be crisscrossing every village path in the expansive, densely populated town, raising thick clouds of dust in desperate race to quench the thirst of the estimated 1.5 million people in Kitengela, Kajiado and Isinya towns.

The misery of the residents is best captured by the plight of Mike Otieno, a resident of Milimani, who narrates how he had to buy bottled water at an exorbitant price for bathing his new born son, whose sensitive skin was allergic to hard water.

He used the same for cooking as borehole water was too salty.

“After moving to Kitengela a year ago, I paid Sh20,000 to Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) to be connected with fresh water. I am yet to receive water, although monthly bills are regularly sent,” he says.

Three water meters

Otieno, then decided to get water from a nearby borehole where he paid a connection fee of Sh40,000. He would have to meet the cost of installing the pipes to his residence before he could be supplied with water.

“Every time the pipe bursts, I end up paying a huge water bill. The supplier does not want to meet the cost of maintaining the infrastructure and since the meter is at his place, I have to pay for the water that goes to waste.”

Another resident, Wainaina Peter from New Valley says he has three water meters from different suppliers. “I have spent more than Sh100, 000 to have a water connection to my residence. Two boreholes have dried up and water from EPZA is a mirage,” says Wainaina.

Our investigations show that EPZA, which has been supplying water in Kitengela, charges Sh20,000 for a connection. Thereafter, one should be billed according to the amount consumed.

When the taps run dry, water tankers make a kill as they sometimes charge Sh7,000 for 10,000 litres. Our sources indicate that the same is bought at only Sh500, meaning that they make about Sh6,500 per trip.

The profit making cascades to the donkey and hard cart operators, who buy a 20-litre water container from EPZA at Sh3 and later sell for between Sh30 and Sh60. Given a hand cart can carry 12 containers, this means one makes over Sh600 per trip after investing Sh36 and some sweat.

Some of the fresh water vendors resort to fetching the scarce commodity from a neighbouring county.

“They puncture the lines and install their own gate valves. They secretly sell to the tankers with a capacity of 10,000 litres, which is then transported to Kitengela,” says a water vendor.

Nominated Senator Mary Seneta sums up the water shortage in the area as artificial. “The water shortage in Kitengela is a creation of the management of EPZA and some cartels who are taking advantage of the poor to raise money through the exorbitant prices which are not within Government tariffs,” Ms Seneta says.

But EPZA’s Fanuel Kidenda dismisses the allegations: “The issue of collusion has been investigated and found to be untrue. EPZA procures bulk water supply from the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company.

This water is partially shared with Mavoko Water Company in Athi-River, supplied to EPZ factories (as a priority) and the balance supplied to other customers, including those in Kitengela area and water vendors,” Kidenda says.

Responding to allegations of billing customers whose taps were dry, Kidenda says, “No customer is billed for ‘air’.  However, there are standing charges which apply unless and until a customer or EPZA terminates the supply contract. Any customer who has not received water for months is advised to lodge a formal complaint with EPZA for remedy or suspension of the supply account and attendant charges.”

When Ms Seneta raised the question of water shortage in Parliament, JW Irungu, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation promised to sink two bore holes as a stop gap measure.

“EPZA has sufficient capacity of 8,000 cubic metres and 2,500 cubic metres in Mlolongo and Nonkopir respectfully. Currently, it does not have any surplus water to extend to other consumers,“ Irungu says.

According to the PS, the water problem will be solved once construction of Ndarugu Dam, which commences in 2019, is completed. The 225 million litre dam will serve Kitengela, Embakasi, Utawala, Mlolongo and Syokimau areas.