Ndakaini no longer reliable water source for Nairobi - residents should be worried

Residents of Nairobi sighed with relief when rain started pounding various parts of the country recently. As a matter of fact, some counties experienced flooding, a good sign the problem of water shortage that has plagued the city would eventually end with the rains.

 

However, the suffering goes on as Nairobians continue to endure months of dry taps. According to Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC), water levels at Ndakaini Dam, which supplies over 80 per cent of water used in the capital, are still very low.

 

This has been caused by prolonged drought that hit the country late last year and early this year. The drought that hit over 20 counties affected the Aberdares and Mt Kenya, the main water catchments for rivers feeding the dam. As we speak, most city estates are yet to get water. And vendors have taken advantage of the situation to sell water at exorbitant prices, with a 20-litre jerrican going for between Sh30 and Sh50. The most worrying part is we are not sure of the sources of water.

This puts millions of people at the risk of outbreak of diseases such as cholera. In Kayole, Tassia, and Donholm for instance, residents have been going for up to three weeks without water. Apart from diseases, Kenyans will also be forced to endure scarcity of food after crops failed. And to show just how dire the situation is, Ndakaini, with a capacity of 700 million cubic metres, has been reduced to less than 175 million.

 

Nairobi needs 750,000 cubic metres of water per day yet NWSC now supplies less than 400,000. Yet the government is not saying anything. Water CS Eugene Wamalwa promised to ensure Kenyans have access to clean and safe drinking water. However, this promise is yet to be fulfilled, just days to the elections.

The question is; is it safe for city residents to depend on Ndakaini which is dependent on weather conditions? Shouldn’t the government think of alternatives to save residents from the perennial shortage of water? Why can’t we develop mechanisms of harvesting rain water, that always goes to waste, and treat it so it can ease the problem?