Water service provider asks for return of confiscated equipment

Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and Murang'a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) Managing Director Eng Daniel Ng'ang'a handing a document detailing water was a devolved function. [Boniface GIkandi, Standard]

A water company that has been involved in week-long stand-off with the county government, has accused the county administration of confiscating its equipment.

Muranga Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) said on Monday they had been forced to hire vehicles and motor cycles to run its operations.

The company's equipment were seized by the county government last week at the order of governor Mwangi wa Iria.

Managing Director of the board Engineer Daniel Ng’ang’a Friday authorized the hiring of motor vehicles to ensure that services resumed. He said that all households that had gone without water for the entirety of last week had been reconnected.

“Most of our equipment are with the county government and we would like to plead with them to release the equipment so that we can serve efficiently,” Ng’ang’a said.

The company last week received a court ruling in the favour which prevented the county government from interfering with the activities of the water provider.

Ng'ang'a said on Monday that the push and pull between the county and the company was retrogressive to water provision.

"We are wholly owned by the county government but would be going back to 15 years when water was being provided by departments in the municipalities. County governments have many functions and for us to achieve the goals of water provisions to all water should be provided by agents such as Muwasco," he said.

On the contentious inspection report by Water Service Regulatory Board (Wasreb), Ng’ang’a said the company would reply to the queries raised by the regulator in two weeks. 

Wasreb said in the report leaked to the media that Muwasco's articles of association did not conform to its guidelines.

Ng’ang’a said that the report of the audit conducted in January had been leaked to the media before it was communicated to his office.

He said some of the issues raised would be settled by a clarification from his office.

The June deadline elapsed before we got the report and we have requested for 14 days to do a management report. Some of the issues raised require mere clarification,” the MD said.