Murang'a water company rebranded, end confusion

A water firm associated with the first water project in Murang'a County has rebranded, ending two decades of confusion over the name.

Water Service Regulatory Board (Wasreb) has allowed Kahuti Water and Sanitation Company to change its name to Murang'a West Water and Sanitation Company (Mwewasco), ending the brand name accorded it by the late Dr Gikonyo Kiano in 1960.

Dr Kiano and former Kandara MP George Mwicigi pioneered water projects in Murang'a.

Wasreb officials allowed the board led by Mwewasco chairperson Fresia Kamau the right to change the name after the stakeholders in the meeting gave no objection to the request.

The firm's Managing Director, Eng Ephantus Kamau, said the change had been necessitated by various factors, among them elevating the project to a company distributing water to Kangema and Kiharu constituencies. Kamau said the location of the company's headquarters is in Kangema town, not Kahuti market.

"Kahuti is the name of the project that was initiated to get water for a community in the Githiga area from the Tuthu catchment along the slopes of Aberdares Forest," said Kamau.

She said the firm had achieved 61 per cent coverage and asked Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata to help fast-track the 39 per cent in need to access the piped water. "Road construction has destroyed the distribution lines leading to the use of millions of shillings to repair infrastructure," said Kamau.