City Hall acts to end dispute on Ndakaini

Ndakaini dam which supplies 84 per cent of water to Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

City Hall has reached out to the Murang’a County administration in a bid to stop a plan to charge 25 per cent tax on water sourced from Ndakaini Dam.

The county assembly has started engaging Murang’a ward reps to find a solution to the stalemate.

Ndakaini Dam is Nairobi’s main water source.

The environment and water county executive, Larry Wambua, yesterday said the county was working in partnership with the national government to resolve the issue.

Acting county speaker, Chege Mwaura has also directed the assembly’s liaison committee to take up the matter and give a progress report in the course of the week.

“I believe it is important that we engage our colleagues in the Murang’a County assembly to find a lasting solution,” Mr Mwaura said.

The acting speaker said he had also taken up the issue with the executive to avert a confrontation between the two counties.

Introducing a levy on water from Ndakaini would mean city residents’ water bills would rise.

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and the county assembly have, however, maintained that should Nairobi fail to pay the 25 per cent levy, they would halt the construction of the Sh6.8bn Northern Collector Tunnel.

Iria argued that water was a major natural resource from the county and he would not allow its sale to Nairobi while his constituents’ taps remained dry.

Last week, Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui warned leaders against politicising the issue, saying water management was the prerogative of the national government.

“It is the responsibility of the national government to protect water catchment areas so no one should claim ownership of water resources,” he said.

Public forums

Police recently used teargas to disperse ward reps who had planned a public forum to discuss the proposed tax at Ndakaini shopping centre.

Police officers accused the leaders of planning to storm the dam.

The county assembly has announced a series of public participation forums ahead of new legislation that will spell out how the area will benefit from water tapped for use in Nairobi.

Five sessions have been planned, including the one dispersed by police.

The county assembly clerk, Chris Kinyanjui, said the public participation sessions by the committee on water, energy, forestry, environment and natural resources would start on Thursday October 4, at Kahuro Social Hall.

Governor Iria has continued to exert pressure on the Nairobi Water Company for a share of an estimated Sh10 billion it receives for water.

He wants his county to be paid Sh200 million a month.

Three sessions will be held at the county assembly between October 4 and October 5, before heading to Ndakaini shopping centre on October 8.

Assembly Majority Leader Erick Kamande said members were ready to craft a law that would compel Nairobi to compensate Murang’a for water.

Ndakaini Dam, he said discharged at least 500 million cubic metres of water everyday for distribution to residents Nairobi.

“We are seeking public approval to demand payment of the resource at 25 per cent. Turkana people are getting a share of oil revenue, why should we not get some from our water?” he said.