The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company on Wednesday, April 21, announced that the water supply in the Central Business District has been cut off.
According to a statement from the company seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the water supply has been shut to allow repairs for damage caused by the Nairobi Expressway construction.
“Water supply to the entire CBD has been shut down due to a pipe damage by the Nairobi Expressway Contractor.
“The line has been shut to pave way for repairs. Bear with us as we work to restore supply in the shortest time possible,” the statement read.
Nairobi Water has also noted the huge demand for water in Nairobi CBD due to the many offices and business premises.
Construction of the Nairobi Expressway has already reached the Nairobi CBD with heavy machinery and earth movers being heard along Uhuru Highway where a section of the road has been closed.
The mega road project was expected to cause an interruption in water supply and Ksh 1.2 billion has been set aside for the relocation of water pipes.
This has caused untold suffering to Kenyans who live and work along the route due to frequent interruptions.
This has led to the emergence of water vending businesses which have made a killing by distributing water through bowsers with others opting to use pushcarts (mkokoteni).
Apart from water other inconveniences which arose from the construction of the highway include heavy traffic and interruption of electricity supply.
A number of accidents have also been reported owing to random road restrictions and sharp turns created by construction barriers
The disruption of the waterways and drainage systems along the road has also led to flooding at sections of Mombasa Road.
