Water authority warns counties against claiming ownership of water sources

The Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) has warned counties and communities against claiming ownership of rivers in their localities.

WRMA said this was intended to ensure there are no conflicts over water resources in the country.

WRMA chief executive officer Philip Olum, said water resources were a government function, adding that it was against the law for counties and communities to claim ownership of rivers and other water sources.

He revealed that the authority had been facing water conflicts in the Athi catchment area after communities living upstream used large volumes of water, denying communities downstream the commodity.

The WRMA boss said serious water conflicts had occurred in Laikipia, Murang’a and Meru among others due to some communities using much of the water without caring for other communities.

“We have experienced some deaths due to communities fighting over the water resources,” he said, adding that the conflicts could be addressed through equitable share of the resources.

Mr Olum said there was need for communities living near rivers to share water with communities without sources of fresh water to enable all Kenyans access the essential commodity.

Concerning counties which were planning to impose fees on those without fresh water, the WRMA boss said it was against the law for them to charge for water supplied to other counties.

“There is no county which owns water resources as it is WRMA which manages the water on behalf of the national government,” he said.

Mr Olum explained that only public water companies are under the counties while the water resources are under the national government.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at Travelers Beach Hotel, Mombasa, the WRMA official also warned the county chiefs against interfering with regional water boards.

ADDRESS WATER ROWS

Mr Olum was reacting to coastal counties which were planning to establish their own regional water board to replace the Coast Water Services Board (CWSB).

County chiefs in the region had proposed to form a regional water board after the CWSB had cut off water supply due to failure by water firms to clear more than Sh1 billion debt.

In 2015, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta counties were on the verge of imposing levies on water supplied to Mombasa County.

The county does not have sources of fresh water and depend on supply from the neighbouring counties.

A Water Resources Users Association representative from Amboseli, Koikai Oloitiptip called on WRMA to ensure equitable share of water from the Athi catchment to address water rows.

He claimed that communities living upstream use a lot of water on irrigating their farms, triggering water shortage to communities downstream.

“Over the years, communities living in Amboseli have been facing acute water shortage as the flow from Athi catchment has been reduced drastically,” he said.

WRMA had convened the meeting for Water Resources Users Association leaders to discuss ways of addressing water conflicts within the Athi catchment.

Participants were drawn from Murang’a, Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Nyandarua, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Mombasa and Kilifi counties.

The water users association’ leaders resolved that communities living near the Athi river, share the water equitably with other communities.