Mombasa hit by water shortage as neighbours reduce supply

Mombasa County’s reliance on its neighbours for fresh drinking water has exposed the soft underbelly of the tourist haven.

And its leadership has now appealed to the national government to intervene and address the water supply shortfall.

The county said it requires 186,000 cubic meters of water a day to provide a steady supply to its residents and industries.

Mombasa gets water from Baricho Dam in Kilifi, Mzima Springs in Taita-Taveta and Marere Springs in Kwale.

The county has, however, been experiencing acute water shortage due to reduction of supply from the three counties.

The supply from Mzima Springs has been declining leading to residents, industries and businesses in Mombasa contending with dry taps for days.

Locals have also been mainly relying on borehole and bottled water.

SOLUTION

Pumping of water at Baricho is done using eight wells, three of which are upstream and five downstream of River Sabaki, producing 90 million litres of water per day, of which 35 million litres is supplied to Mombasa and 25 million litres to Kilifi.

Speaking when he met Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui who paid him a courtesy call at his office on Wednesday, Governor Hassan Joho called for sustainable water supply in the county.

“We discussed the reducing volumes of bulk water supply to Mombasa and what measures the national government - through Coast Water Service Board - is taking in ensuring that we receive adequate supply to distribute to our residents,” Mr Joho said.

The governor, whose dalliance with the national government is beginning to bear fruit, said the meeting will help the residents get adequate water supply.

DESALINATION

The meeting with Mr Chelugui came amid plans by the county to invest in a desalination plant in the Indian Ocean in efforts to end the perennial water shortage plaguing the coastal city.

The county settled for two international firms for the planned desalination project. Ms Fatma Awale, the county's minister of Water and Natural Resources, said they will soon sign an agreement with two firms who won the tender to desalinate sea water.

For months Mombasa Cement has been supplying fresh water to slum dwellers in Jomvu Sub-County for free.