Nairobians to go thirsty for more days as taps run dry

A vendor hawks water in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

What you need to know:

  • The move will see households dig deeper into their pockets as they seek expensive water from private vendors.
  • Vendors charge Sh20 or higher for 20 litres of water or 0.02 cubic meters, reaping a huge profit from the supply shortage.
  • This is steep compared to the Sh53 per 1,000 litres that NCWSC charges households.

Nairobi residents will continue to spend more on water as the utility provider signalled increased rationing after the levels at main reservoir Ndakaini Dam dropped to an all-time low.

Intensified rationing of the commodity by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) will see households dig deeper into their pockets as they seek expensive water from private vendors.

Vendors charge Sh20 or higher for 20 litres of water or 0.02 cubic meters, reaping a huge profit from the supply shortage.

This is steep compared to the Sh53 per 1,000 litres that NCWSC charges households.

“The company has further reviewed equitable water distribution programme for the city and its environs,” said NCWSC.

“This has been necessitated by the below average rainfall experienced in the short and long rains of 2016 and 2017 respectively.”

The company started rationing water in January due to depressed water levels at the Ndakaini dam in Murang’a County – the capital city’s main water source.

It was expected that long rains starting late March would lift water levels at the dams and ease the rationing.

However, the heavy rains have delayed and left around 2.7 million people in need of food aid after a dry spell in October and November.

A new dam is being built in Muranga to feed Nairobi’s growing population with water and cut reliance on Ndakaini.

Water scarcity last month forced flower firm, Primarosa Flowers, to stop operations at its Athi-River base and relocate to its Nyahururu farm.