Nairobi and Kiambu county residents shall soon face a water shortage if Murang’a governor Mwangi wa Iria makes good his threat of blocking the supply of water from Murang'a.
Speaking on Wednesday at Kenol, the governor threatened to block water supply if the aforementioned counties failed to remit 25 percent of revenue collected from water sale.
“Water is our oil.We saw residents of Turkana demand their fair share through demonstrations and picketing until the government listened to them...We are not the exemption.We can’t be giving water to other counties for free when they sell it to residents.”
The county boss went on to add that Nairobi has over 1,000 swimming pools fed by water from Ndakaini dam while Murang’a people face shortages that force them to pay exaggerated prices.
“Whenever there is warmth, people in Nairobi live in swimming pools like crocodiles while in Murang’a we grapple with challenges. I will not allow that. If they don’t part with 25 percent of the revenue they collect, I shall lead the people of Murang’ an in blocking the water that goes to those counties," held the governor.
He maintained that the move to have more revenue from the water supply to the city is aimed at ensuring that Murang'a resident get adequate water supply. He stated that revenue to be collected from Nairobi and Kiambu would also ensure availability of the commodity.
The county boss pointed out that 70 percent of the county population lack access to clean drinking water.
Murang'a County assembly is in the process of formulating the County Water Act which would help in the management of the commodity.
For operations to be centralised, the governor noted that there would be the provision of free 60 litres of water and the merger of water companies as stipulated in the law.
“The assembly is drafting a law, which will encompass the views of the members of public on the management of water companies and give clear guidelines on why we shall benefit from water which goes to Kiambu and Nairobi counties," concluded governor Wa Iria.
