Thirsty villagers petition county over extreme water shortage

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama Adam before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee(CPAC) at Bunge Tower in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

As debate rages on how devolution money has been spent by North Eastern region Governors, three elders have petitioned Garissa Governor Nathif Jama over extreme water shortage, saying devolved units have never initiated any project in their locations.

The elders, Mohamud Hajir, Haret Nasteh Noor and Mohamed Dahir Ahmed from Korisa location wrote to Garissa Governor and his County executive Committee member in charge of water, asking for immediate intervention.

In their letter received by Water Executive on 8th January, the elders said that since the establishment of county governments, they have never benefited from any county-funded development water projects.

“We write to bring to your urgent attention the prolonged and severe water shortage facing our community and to request immediate intervention by the County Government,” read part of the letter seen by The Standard.

Historically, residents said they were relying on water pans as their main source of water. However, they have become obsolete due to prolonged droughts, siltation, and lack of maintenance, leaving the community without a reliable source of water.

For the last two years, the residents noted that they have been benefiting from piped water provided through the support of Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy, which is run by Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT).

“This support significantly eased the water crisis in the area. Unfortunately, for the past one year, the pump supplying this water broke down and has remained faulty and the conservancy has not been able to repair it as a result of resource constraints,” they said.

They said the estimated cost of repairing the pump is at least Kenya Shillings 300,000, an amount that the community cannot afford due to widespread poverty and lack of alternative livelihoods.

The residents noted that they are now forced to depend on water bowsers that travel all the way from Tana River, which charge exorbitant fees that most households cannot consistently afford, a situation that has greatly worsened the suffering of the community.

“We have previously approached the relevant offices, including the Office of the Governor and the County Department of Water, seeking urgent assistance. Despite these efforts, no lasting solution has been implemented to address the crisis,” they added.

Locals are now demanding immediate repair of the faulty water pump and implementation of sustainable and permanent water projects such as drilling boreholes or establishing of piped water system.

In their letter that was copied to Garissa Senators office, that of Ijara member of parliament, and Garissa County assembly speaker, the elders said access to clean and safe water is a basic human right and a critical foundation for health, dignity, and development.

“The residents of Korissa Location deserve equal inclusion in county development planning and service delivery, we sincerely hope that this petition will receive your urgent consideration and prompt action,” they wrote.