300,000 to get water in new Mombasa plan

More than 300,000 people in Mombasa will get clean water in 2017 from a Sh1 billion project designed to reduce the perennial shortage in the county.

The Environment and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary, Prof Judi Wakhungu, launched the project at Nyali on Monday.

“It is designed to improve water distribution to Mombasa residents. As you are aware the demand in Mombasa is about 150,000 cubic metres a day. We are serving about 65,000 to 70,000 cubic metres in a day,” Prof Wakhungu said.

Besides increasing the amount of water supplied to the county, the project has been designed to improve distribution.

Coast Water Service Board chief executive James Thubu said the project is funded by the World Bank and would cover about 42 km.

However, the county executive for the environment, Ms Fatma Awale, distanced the county from the project, claiming the national government and the board had not involved them.

“Water and sanitation is a devolved function. The county is opposed to the way it was handled. We should be prominent, not bystanders,” she told the Nation.

Ms Awale said governor Hassan Joho did not attend the launch which he had been invited to “because he was left out in the plans”.

“Implementation of the plans and everything has to be certified by the county government. We are not saying we will stop the project. We want them to understand if they are doing things without consulting, we might be forced to do things until we are recognised,” she said.

Meanwhile, the new Coast Water Services Board directors will on Friday decide whether to disconnect water to the region’s water companies due to debts totalling more than Sh1 billion. The debt has been accumulating over the last five years.

The row over non-payment between board and water companies in the Coast has left at least 3.3 million people at risk of facing a shortage in case the board disconnects supply to the region.

Last week, the board disconnected supply to the Tavevo Water Company over a Sh121 million debt, triggering water shortage across Taita Taveta County. Water supply was only restored on Monday after Tavevo officials reached an agreement with the board on how they will repay the debt.

Documents indicate that the Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company owes water services board more than Sh600 million, while the Kilifi Water and Sewerage Company owes Sh188 million and Malindi Water firm Sh140 million. The Kwale Water Company and Tavevo Water firm owe Sh140 million and Sh121 million respectively.

Yesterday, Mr Thubu said the newly appointed board chairman, Mr Granton Samboja, would on Friday chair a meeting to decide on whether to disconnect the water services firms until they pay up.

Mr Samboja and five others were appointed to water services board board during last month’s re-organisation of parastatals.

According to Mr Thubu, Tavevo Water Company is required to pay Sh7 million every month but only pays Sh500,000 to the board yet it collects Sh13 million from consumers in Taita Taveta County.

“Since we have a new board of directors in place, we shall this Friday decide on whether to disconnect water supply or give the water firms more time to clear their debts,” he said.

Speaking to the Nation in Mombasa, Mr Thubu said the board was facing a financial crisis owing to non-payment of the outstanding debts.

“We are struggling to pay our staff salaries amounting to Sh14 million leave alone meet operational and maintenance costs,” he explained.

Mr Thubu said the water services board was last year expected to start repaying a Sh7 billion loan it had borrowed from the World Bank seven years ago but was yet to start honouring its obligation because the other companies have not been clearing their bills.

Mombasa County executive for Water, Ms Fatma Awale, dismissed the Sh608 million bill demanded by the water services board saying it was unrealistic.

“We need to be told on how the Board arrived at the huge bill of more than Sh1 billion as the figure is utterly unrealistic,” she said.

“We are not getting any value from the board since our companies settle power bills as well as maintenance of the pipelines,” she said.

Kwale County Water executive Hemedi Mwabudzo also disputed the county’s Sh142 million bill. She said the figure was on the higher side.

“We actually don’t know how much we owe the board as it keeps on changing the figures for our firm,” he said.

Officials of the water firms in Kilifi County also disputed their bill and called for an audit to establish the truth.