Governor wants Nairobi to pay for water from Muranga County

Muranga County Governor Mwangi Wa Iria

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria has been chastised for interfering with water services and under-selling the benefits of Government projects in his county.

Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui censured Mr Iria when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources on Tuesday.

The CS told senators that the wrangles between the governor and Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) had driven the World Bank to withdraw a Sh130 million loan meant to support Muwasco’s expansion of water infrastructure in parts of Murang’a.

Mr Chelugui also dismissed Iria’s bid to force Nairobi County to pay for the water it draws from Ndakaini Dam and the yet to be completed Northern Water Collector Tunnel, which will increase water supply to the city by 140,000 cubic metres per day.

Misinformed residents

He said the project implementation was agreed upon and approved by stakeholders from Murang’a and accused Iria of misinforming residents that the tunnel was solely meant to benefit Nairobi and Kiambu consumers to the detriment of Murang’a residents.

“The ministry has time and again clarified that the design of the tunnel will only allow it to take flood flows, and that it will be lined to protect groundwater and avoid pollution,” Chelugui said.

The governor has been making waves with his demand that City Hall must pay for water sourced from Murang’a. What began as a dispute over the ownership of Muwasco has spilled over into the city, which relies on Ndakaini for its water supply.

Iria insists that the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) should remit 25 per cent of its water revenue to Murang’a. But Chelugui disagreed with Iria’s argument.

“It is important to note that the rivers the project is tapping water from actually originate from the Aberdares and pass through Muranga,” he said.

In a meeting held at Ihura Stadium in Murang’a last Friday, the governor said he had prioritised the interests of the county and would not allow water to be supplied to Nairobi for free.

According to him, NCWSC earns about Sh10 billion every year and Murang’a was rightfully entitled to Sh2.3 billion from Nairobi.

The figure is slightly less than half of the county’s budgetary allocation from the national government.

And until Sunday, when Iria got backing from unlikely quarters – Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata – the governor was isolated in his compensation campaign.

But while Mr Kang’ata offered his support, he disagreed with the governor’s abrasive approach in tackling the matter. Instead, he insisted that the county assembly should formulate a law that will allow the proposal to move forward.

The senator also thought that the 25 per cent figure suggested by Iria was setting the compensation bar too low.

“The people of Murang’a believe they have to get something significant. I think 40 per cent. But that should be done by passing legislation in the county assembly.”

Kang’ata also hinted that he would write to Chelugui and Iria to set up a meeting to find a lasting solution on the matter.

County Assembly Leader of Majority Erick Kamande also waded into the debate, saying MCAs would hold sessions at Ndakaini and Kahuro markets to collect the public’s views on the issue.

Two MPs, Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Mary Waithera (Maragua) also hopped onto the governor’s bandwagon when they separately supported his compensation campaign.

They however asked Iria to stop maligning leaders by alleging that they had been compromised by NCWSC to steer clear of the water debate.

Mr Nyoro said he had not received communication from the governor about a meeting.

Simmering row

Ms Waithera called for a leaders’ meeting to deliberate over the matter and end the simmering row.

“The governor should approach the matter through dialogue and not violence,” she said, adding that Iria had not invited them for any meeting yet he was attacking them.

Under Iria, the county has adopted a ‘Murang’a First’ approach but apart from the governor, other leaders have issued guarded comments or steered clear of the payment discussion.

The governor has not taken kindly to his isolation and has taken to accusing county leaders of “allowing Murang’a residents to be exploited”.

Iria had criticised MPs for snubbing his invitation to a meeting that was meant to help draw a road map to champion county interests in the quest for compensation.

He asked the legislators to declare their interests, claiming some had been compromised by the water firm.

“Their absence is a sign that I am all alone in the war for control of water,” he said.

During the Ihura Stadium meeting, the county resolved to mobilise youths to reconnect water supply to homes a week after it was disconnected by Muwasco.

Another resolutions were that five water companies - Muwasco, Murang’a South Water and Sanitation Company, Gatamathi, Kahuti and Gatanga - should apply to be agents of the county government.