Nairobi set for mega water project to end perennial shortages

City Hall is set to embark on a multi-million shilling water project aimed at boosting supply to Nairobi residents.

The project, which will commence in February 2020 and take 10 months to complete, will see pipes connected from Kabete to Nairobi’s South C estate, where a huge storage tank will be located.

Nairobi County has been grappling with water shortage for more than two years, since rationing started in April 2017, as demand for the commodity outstrips supply.

Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) can only produce a maximum of 526, 000 cubic meters daily against a demand of 790, 000 cubic meters.

GROWING DEMAND

It is estimated that the demand increases by 20,000 cubic meters per year.

Nahashon Muguna, Urban Water's acting Managing Director, said designs for the Kabete-South C line were almost complete and that the county had enough funds to finance it.

“After laying the lines, we will non-stop until we complete the work December next year,” Mr Muguna said, without specifying the amount of money that will be spent.

He said the line will flow from Kabete and pass through James Gichuru Road and the Southern bypass before reaching South C.

Water from the project will be enough to cover the deficit in Lang’ata and Kibra sub-counties, he said.

COUNTY INTERVENTION

In July, Governor Mike Sonko announced plans to steady water supply in the capital city following complaints by residents, most of whom had been getting water twice a week or going without it for weeks.

Mr Sonko said the county government had partnered with World Bank and the African Development Bank to help reduce the 250,000 cubic meters deficit by installing pipes to tap the commodity from neighbouring Kiambu County.

“The water will then be stored in a 14-million-litre tank at the Embakasi Garrison Barracks which will act as a reservoir for distribution to residents across the county,” he said.

The City Hall boss also said his administration had given Athi Water and Nairobi Water companies Sh50 million each to improve supply within city estates.

He further said the county had allocated Sh7 million to each of the 85 wards in the county for water management services, Sh2.7 billion of which was set aside in the current budget for the environment, water and energy sector.

Governor Sonko also said, “We have renewed efforts to crackdown on cartels engaging in illegal supply. Some 1,143 illegal connections were disconnected in the last one year, 179 arrests made and the individuals charged in court."