Water shortage hits Mombasa after vendors’ licences revoked

A water vendor pushes a hand cart in Jomvu along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway on April 13, 2016. Parts of Mombasa County have continued to experience acute water shortages after the revocation of 2,500 vendors’ licences. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The MPs asked the county to reinstate the licences it revoked last month to save locals from using unsafe water.
  • Governor Joho cancelled the licences accusing vendors of exploiting locals.
  • Joho described the vendors as “ruthless profiteers out to fleece the residents.”
  • Residents said they fear contracting Hepatitis A and other waterborne diseases if the situation is not addressed.

The Mombasa County government has been asked to restore licences of 2,500 water vendors after an acute shortage hit the coastal city.

Nyali MP Hezron Awiti and Omar Mwinyi of Changamwe asked the county to reinstate the licences it revoked last month to save locals from using unsafe water.

“People are now consuming water from unsafe sources because of the shortage that followed revocation of the licences. We will not just sit back and watch.

“We demand an explanation on what is being done to provide water because residents are at risk of contracting water borne diseases by drinking water from bore holes,” Mr Awiti said.

Mr Mwinyi accused the county government of not consulting them while revoking licences of vendors in six sub-counties.

They lawmakers spoke on Friday after meeting the vendors.

“We are also concerned that the government did not give an alternative after withdrawing the licences,” Mr Mwinyi said.

RUTHLESS PROFITEERS

Governor Hassan Joho cancelled the licences accusing vendors of exploiting locals describing them as “ruthless profiteers out to fleece the residents.”

This has led to an acute shortage of water as most locals mostly rely on the vendors for their daily supply of water.

Residents said they fear contracting Hepatitis A and other waterborne diseases if the situation is not addressed.

Meanwhile, those selling bottled water will be arrested if their products lack the Kenya Bureau of Standards certificates.

Last week, a crackdown on hawkers and retailers selling water netted over 50 people who were later released on the orders of the county secretary Francis Thoya.

Addressing the media later, Mr Thoya issued a warning that those selling unauthorised bottled products would be arrested and charged in court.

“Through impromptu sampling of bottled water products, we have discovered most of them are not genuine and fit for human consumption thus this crackdown,” he said.

Mombasa Water and Sanitation Company laboratory technician Gabriel Bundi said they had received ‘threats’ from Nairobi traders after raising an alert over their contaminated products.

“I have already reported that matter to my superiors in the county but that will not deter me from disclosing unscrupulous traders putting the lives of people in danger,” he said adding that he would not hesitate to name them and their products publicly.