Murang’a water firm sues contractor over smashed pipes

A road construction company has been stopped from working on a section of a road in Murang’a after a water firm obtained restraining orders, accusing the company of massive destruction of a water pipeline.

The High Court has restrained SS Mehta Construction Company from proceeding with the building of the Kiria-Kagaa-Githambo road until it relocates water pipes belonging to Kahuti Water and Sanitation Company.

Kahuti’s Managing Director Ephantus Kamau applied for orders to restrain the firm and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (Kerra) from continuing with the works until the pipelines are relocated.

MASSIVE DESTRUCTION

High Court Registrar Victoria Ochanda granted the application dated September 4, ordering SS Mehta to stop the building of a major road in Kiharu Constituency following a massive destruction water pipes.

“An urgent temporary injunction is hereby issued restraining the respondents from wasting, damaging and interfering with pipelines along the road under construction pending inter partes hearing,” the order reads.

In the affidavit, Mr Kamau indicated that residents in Mugoiri and Murarandia wards have been exposed to untold suffering due to lack of water and have been exposed to diseases.

NO WATER

“Locals have been deprived of the important utility due to the massive destruction and the company is losing revenue that it collects from the supply of water [to] the residents and risks not to be able to pay salaries among other expenditures,” the affidavit sworn by Mr Kamau read.

In the past five months, the residents in Kahuro Sub-County have decried the massive destruction of pipes leading to acute shortage of water in their homes and in local schools.

Two months ago, Murang'a Water and Sanitation Company raised concerns after a Chinese road construction company destroyed water pipes along the Mukuyu-Kwa Samaki road in Murang'a East.