Battle for water to end after company agrees to relocate intake in the Aberdare forest

Water flows on Kenya Tea Development Agency's water Tunnel after diverted from Gura River in Othaya, Nyeri. [Kibata Kihu/Standard]

A conflict between Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and a water firm over the control of Gura River in Nyeri could soon end.

KTDA, which has built a Sh1.6 billion hydro-power project on the river, has agreed to facilitate the relocation of an abstraction owned by Tetu Aberdare Water and Sanitation Company Limited (Teawasco) upstream at a cost of Sh4.7 million.

Both KTDA and Teawasco have developed abstractions on the river which are separated by a distance of 1,500m.

According to Teawasco management, KTDA’s abstraction cuts across the whole river from right to left, leaving very little water to flow downstream where Teawasco’s intake is located

As a result, Teawasco is left with little water to supply to its customers.

However, yesterday in a charged meeting chaired by Water Executive Fredrick Kinyua, both companies resolved to share the water resource amicably.

Give priority

Part of the resolutions include an agreement where KTDA foots the bill for relocating Teawasco’s abstraction upstream

Other officials who attended the meeting were from Tana Water Service Board, County Assembly Committee on Water and the Water Resources Management Authority (Warma).

Mr Kinyua said tapping water for domestic needs should be given priority as opposed to using it for power generation.

“Teawasco has raised concerns that the project is taking too much water leaving very little to flow downstream,” Kinyua noted.