Water scarcity bites counties as dry spell persists

A Mombasa resident searches for water on February 15, 2018. The county has been hit by water shortage. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Water vendors have taken advantage of the scarcity and are selling a 20 litre jerrican for Sh20.
  • Power supply to the Migori County Water and Sanitation Company main pumping station is still disconnected over a bill of Sh5 million.

Acute water shortage has hit Kakamega, Mombasa and Migori counties, among others.

In Kakamega, a drop in water level in River Isiukhu due to the current dry spell has disrupted supply to residential areas.

The management of Kakamega Water and Sewerage Company said supply at the treatment plant had dropped from 15,000 cubic metres to 11,000 per day.

The managing director, Mr Fredrick Atwa, said parts of Kakamega town and Lumakanda were the most affected by the shortage.

Water vendors have taken advantage of the scarcity and are selling a 20 litre jerrican for Sh20.

The vendors are drawing the untreated water from streams, sparking fear of an outbreak of diseases.

“Water levels at Tindinyo treatment works on the Nandi escarpment have gone down and that has disrupted supply in Kakamega Town. The situation is likely to get worse if the dry spells persists,” Mr Atwa said.

WATER BILLS
The firm serves close to 30,000 residents in Kakamega Town.

However, beside the decline in water levels, supply has been disrupted due to relocation of pipes to pave way for the ongoing tarmacking of the Kakamega-Kisumu Road.

Mr Atwa said the company had introduced a new system to facilitate payment of water bills after detecting suspect transactions involving cash payments.

He said all cash offices had been closed and customers will be required to pay bills through M-Pesa or deposit the amount in a bank account.

The water company had further introduced devices that will be used by meter readers to capture details for preparing water bills.

He added bills will be sent to respective customers through their mobile phones.

In Migori, the water crisis has now entered a third week.

WATER RATIONING
Power supply to the Migori County Water and Sanitation Company main pumping station is still disconnected over a bill of Sh5 million.

“We are trying to solve this water crisis within the next few days and we ask for tolerance from our customers,” Mr Peter Pesa, the firm’s managing director, said.

The management of a private water service provider in Migori Town, Nyasare Water Company, said they had commenced water rationing due to low water levels in their boreholes and springs.

“Our clients will not get daily supplies until we get enough rains. We will be serving different estates on different days,” Mr Benson Omollo Awange, the water company chairman, said.

He decried vandalism of their pipes by residents who are looking for water, a move he said, had pushed up their cost of maintenance.

But the shutdown of the water supply from the Migori Water and Sanitation Company has been felt most because the firm serves a larger part of the county.

Hotels, hospitals and schools are the worst affected by the crisis.

“Our clients are crossing border to get booked in Tanzanian hotels because of the water crisis here,” a hotelier, Mr Kassam Abubakar, said.

HEALTH
A 20 litre water jerrican is costing Sh30 in Migori instead of the usual Sh10.

In Mombasa, residents have decried persistent water shortage in the tourist hub. The shortage, they said, poses a threat to their health.

They spoke during a sensitisation meeting on water and sanitation at Tudor Catholic Church organised by Maji na Ufanisi, a non-governmental organisation.

Mr Jerimiah Kiwoi, an analyst on social and community affairs, said water scarcity in Mombasa should be taken seriously and addressed.

“Water sources may be the cause of the next world war,” Mr Kiwoi said.

A teacher at Mrironi Primary School in Jomvu constituency said the modern toilet built by an NGO is poorly used due to lack of water.

“Students have to carry containers where they relieve themselves, which is a big problem,” the teacher said while appealing to donors to construct pit latrines.

BOREHOLES

Mr Kiwoi accused the county government of remaining mum on the water problems.

“The county governments are scared of empowering the people since they don’t want their authority to be challenged,” he said.

Mr Festus Muthanji, an officer from Maji na Ufanisi, also urged the authorities to close all the boreholes constructed near septic tanks as they pose a health risk.

“Anyone who intends to construct a borehole should involve the county government for guidance and also have it registered,” Mr Muthanji said.

In Nakuru, the water resources authority has banned use of generators to pump water from the source for use in farming.

IRRIGATION
The state agency has further embarked on a 24-hour crack down on those engaging on illegal tapping of water.

“Arresting the culprits has not been easy because they run away leaving their generators behind,” regional manager, Mr Simon Wang’ombe, said.

He said the ban was in line with the Water Act, which only allows use of the water for irrigation during the rainy season.

Areas currently facing the challenge of illegal obstruction of water include Rongai, Molo, Gilgil in Nakuru in addition to Emining and Nasura in Baringo County.

Reporting by Emmanuel Mecha, Magdalene Wanja, Benson Amadala and Elisha Otieno.