Kikuyu town residents to benefit from S635m sewer line project

Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki inspecting construction progress (PHOTO: FILE)

KIAMBU, KENYA: Over 80,000 residents of Kikuyu town and surrounding areas are set to benefit from the construction of a modern sewer line by May 2021.

The Sh635 million project is under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program funded by the Government of Kenya and the African Development Bank project.

The project is part of the government’s efforts to provide fast-growing towns with sustainable water and sewerage systems to cater for growing populations and ensure equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.

While inspecting the construction progress, water Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki said that the objective of the program is to improve access, quality, availability, and sustainability of water supply and wastewater management services in Kikuyu Town, Kidfarmaco, Thogoto, Kamangu, institutions in Kikuyu and Ondiri areas to catalyse commercial activities, driving economic growth, employment creation, improving quality of life of the people and building resilience against climate variability and change.

“The Kenya Towns Program will also benefit other fast-growing towns across the country in areas such as Kiambu, Ruaka, Limuru, Machakos, Kisumu, Narok, Kakamega, Eldoret, Marsabit, Changamwe, Kitui, Watamu, and Nanyuki among others. Most of these areas have never had sewer connections before with all the waste from Kikuyu and Kiambu towns is expected to drain into the Ruai wastewater treatment plant,” said CS Kariuki.

The project being implemented by the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) will see the construction of three ablution blocks, six boreholes with 48m3 pressed steel tanks, 450 household connections, and 50 kilometers of the trunk and reticulation sewers and a 26 kilometers water distribution network.

The Agency Chief Executive Officer Eng. Michael Thuita said that so far, over 16.2 km of sewers and 3km of water pipeline has been laid in Kikuyu Town and Kidfamaco areas with the expected completion in April 2021.

“We expect to connect over 450 households, industries, and institutions who are currently using pit latrines and septic tanks to cater to their large volumes of sewage. The construction of the sewerage system will provide great savings to residents who currently spend a lot of money on exhauster services compared to the costs of connecting to the sewer system.

On a national scale, the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program will provide more than 2.1 million people with reliable and sustainable water supply services and more than 1.3 million people with water-borne sewerage systems. Besides, the program will create more than 15,000 new jobs during and after its implementation.