Cholera outbreak fears in Umoja as water mixes with raw sewage

Raw sewage. Thousands of Umoja residents may have been consuming contaminated water for several weeks. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Some samples of water from the taps was green or brown and in some cases smelling of sewage.
  • Nairobi County government last week confirmed there was a cholera outbreak in the city.

Thousands of Umoja residents may have been consuming contaminated water for several weeks.

A spot check by the Nation in Umoja 1, Nairobi, on Thursday revealed many people, especially children, are sick and have been vomiting or having running stomachs.

Some samples of water from the taps was green or brown and in some cases smelling of sewage.

Nairobi County government last week confirmed there was a cholera outbreak in the city.

CHOLERA

Most plots, from Umoja 1 A to E, have had their water metres locked in the past five days because of the water contamination, which residents fear may bring an epidemic of waterborne diseases in one of Nairobi’ most populous estates.

“The water has been dirty for long; it has been mixed with sewage and we have been using it unknowingly. We did not know we were drinking sewage until much later when I opened the kitchen tap and the water was stinking,” said Mr Honest Rimoi, a resident.

His children have amoeba, he said, after consuming the water which has become dirtier in the past four days.

BUYING WATER

“We are tired of buying water every day even when we are not sure if it is clean. We do not know where they (vendors) draw the water from,” he said.

But Mr Rimoi is no alone. Many of his neighbours have been diagnosed with amoeba, typhoid or diarrhoea.

Contaminated

Ms Peris Kigo’s three-year-old baby girl has been vomiting. “She started vomiting on Sunday and she is still sick,” she said moments after coming from the hospital.

While the doctor told her the baby may have eaten contaminated food, she is convinced that it is the dirty water.

RAW SEWAGE

The same was reported by Ms Miriam Wacuka. “The water we are getting in our taps is raw sewage. My baby has become sick after drinking the water. The issue has persisted for a while, and despite reporting to the concerned authorities, no action has been taken to rectify the issue,” she said.

She expressed concern that more children may get affected as schools close.

Ms Dorothy Sayo, another victim, has been sick from Sunday after taking the water. She said one of her housemates is also sick.

Mr Kevin Mbugua was in hospital three weeks ago after he fell ill. He was diagnosed with a mild amoeba.

In almost every plot, the story is the same. People have running stomachs while piped water remain closed in most plots.

CONTAMINATION

Mr Michael Waitima, a landlord, was forced to pump out 5,000 litres of water he had stored for his 26 tenants because of the contamination.

While the residents suspect that the contamination came from a plot whose sewerage system was disturbed few months ago, the source could be far away.

According to a Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company engineer who did not want his name published, the problem in Umoja is that the water table is high while the area has a web of sewer lines, which may be contaminating the water.

“I have channelled the water to see where the problem is and we are mobilising machines to come and rectify the problem,” he said.

He added that he has to wait until there is running water in the system so as to identify the main source of the contamination.

There has also been an ongoing road construction in the area.

At least 14 cases of cholera were confirmed in Nairobi last week, with four patients coming from Imara Daima, Embakasi, Eastleigh and Ruai.