Taita-Taveta County revives Sh20m project to fix water shortage

Taita-Taveta Governor John Mruttu (second right) inspects a water pump in Taveta Sub County. [PHOTO: RENSOM MNYAMWEZI/ STANDARD]

VOI: Residents of Mwatate Sub-County in Taita-Taveta now have access to clean water.

The county government has finally completed the Mwasimenyi-Mwatunge-Landi water project, which was first initiated by the defunct Taita-Taveta County Council.

According to local Ward Representative Aresmus Mwarabu, phase one of the water project has cost the county administration more than Sh20 million.

He says more than 12,000 people in Mwatunge, Marryland, Mazola, Relinyi, Singila, Majengo among other villages are now benefiting from the project. “The water is pumped from Kipiusi borehole then it goes up to a tank at Mwatunge hill. From the tank, the water is supplied to the villagers,” said Mr Mwarabu.

He says phase two of the project that will cover Maili Kumi area will be implemented this financial year.

Speaking to The Standard on Sunday, the MCA said residents were happy they were reaping the benefits of devolution.

“The county inherited the stalled water project from the defunct county council and completed it. On behalf of the people I represent at the county assembly, I appreciate the county administration for completing the water project,” said Mwarabu.

He went on: “Water shortage here was discouraging investors. We are happy that now we have enough water as well as good roads.” Governor John Mruttu and Director of Water Services Bryson Mwambi said the county administration, through the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), had identified other water projects requiring financial assistance from development partners.

Mr Mwambi said residents of lowland areas of the county still do not have access to clean water.

According to a recent survey, 81 per cent of the households rely on improved sources for drinking water. Across the sub-counties, households with access to improved water range from 59 per cent in Mwatate to 94 per cent in Taveta, said the survey.

Maji na Ufanisi Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Geoffrey Rotich said slightly less than a half of households experience water difficulties.

Mr Rotich said results from the household survey show that substantially, many households rely on unimproved sanitation facilities, with overall access to improved sanitation for the surveyed areas standing at 17 per cent.

Across the sub-counties, the proportions that use improved sanitation range from 20 per cent in Mwatate to 5 per cent in Wundanyi, added the survey. The study was undertaken by Africa Data and Information Network on behalf of Maji na Ufanisi during the month of April 2015.

Rotich said the challenges of meeting the county’s water demands are linked to the low share of water received from the main pipeline from Mzima Springs.

“The other key reasons for not achieving water supply reliable is equally linked to distribution issues, relating to piping and storage aspects,” he said. According to the official, the biggest problem is found in the lower region areas, such as Buguta, where people have to trek a distance of 10 km to access water.

In Taveta, the piping and storage challenges are blamed on an increasing population and the aging distribution systems.

Experts say the initial planning for Taveta failed to consider potential population growth. The demographic shift has, as a result, outstretched the ability of the current aging infrastructure.

The study further challenged the county government to identify and protect water catchment areas and other natural resources. It blamed management issues on lack of coordination between the national and county governments.