Completed Sh800m Maragua dam fans water wars
President William Ruto during an Interdenominational Thanksgiving service in Murang'a County on October 30, 2022. Ruto’s announcement that the Sh800 million dam in Maragua is complete and others worth Sh12 billion will be built, has reignited the long-running water service providers’ row between Murang’a South and North.
What you need to know:
- The completed dam is expected to provide 15,000 cubic metres of water to residents in parts of Maragua Constituency daily.
- The others to be put up are the Sh10 billion Maragua IV dam and the Sh1.2 billion Kigumo dam meant to supply residents and Nairobi with water.
- The feud is between Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco), which is the custodian of bulk water supply lines, and Murang’a South Water and Sanitation Company (Muswasco).
President William Ruto’s announcement that the Sh800 million dam in Maragua is complete and others worth Sh12 billion will be built, has reignited the long-running water service providers’ row between Murang’a South and North.
The completed dam is expected to provide 15,000 cubic metres of water to residents in parts of Maragua Constituency daily.
The others to be put up are the Sh10 billion Maragua IV dam and the Sh1.2 billion Kigumo dam meant to supply residents and Nairobi with water.
The feud is between Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco), which is the custodian of bulk water supply lines, and Murang’a South Water and Sanitation Company (Muswasco), which has influential personalities backing it.
After Dr Ruto left Murang’a on Sunday, a meeting was held that evening at a venue along the Murang’a-Sagana road by some Murang’a North power brokers to strategise on how to control the water.
On Tuesday, a similar one involving those from Murang’a South was held at a hotel along the Kenol-Makutano road.
Murang’a North has Kiharu, Kahuro, Kangema and Mathioya sub-counties while Murang’a South has Maragua, Kigumo, Kandara, Gatanga and Ithanga/Kakuzi.
At the centre of the row is Maragua town, which falls under Murang’a South, but there are plans to have it under Murang’a North so as to control the complete dam.
This has not gone down well with the Murang’a South folks who now want Water Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, who comes from the region, to intervene.
Muwasco has Mt Kenya Foundation’s Peter Munga as its chairman. The firm supplies water and sanitation services in Kiharu Constituency.
Muswasco supplies water in Maragua, Kandara and Kigumo constituencies.
According to Murang’a Water Traders and Users Association Chairman Murira Mwaura, the conflict over the control of the dams is about finances and not the welfare of the people.
“Muwasco is targeting to expand its water service boundaries to include parts of Murang’a South. The drive ... might sink the latter into a financial crisis,” he said on Tuesday.
He said the issue is very emotive due to bad political blood between Murang’a North and South.“The North and South politics are very divisive,” he said.
He added that “the vast business opportunities that will come with the building of dams are the poison that has ignited the row”.
Besides the water and sewerage service rates, the dams will offer lucrative business opportunities in the construction of reservoirs, spillways and attendant infrastructure.
The feud has been compounded by the expansion of Murang’a Municipal Board boundaries.
The board’s James Mwangi told a meeting in Maragua on August 28 that “we want to demolish the divisive politics about North and South by including Maragua town in the Board”.
Some actors are now demanding that the issue be subjected to a locally arranged referendum.
“The constitution demands that such matters of great public interest be subjected to public participation. There are cartels sitting down in bushes to unilaterally decide that our town be swallowed by the county capital – Murang’a,” said former Ichagaki ward rep Charles Mwangi.
The Municipal Board insists that Maragua does not have enough numbers to qualify for independent municipality status.
In September, Governor Irungu Kang’ata held a meeting with the water companies and urged them to upscale efficiency.
County politicians, including Dr Kang’ata, have refused to comment on the matter, likely out of fear of igniting political wars that might cost them the support.
Yesterday, Muswasco Managing Director Mary Nyaga said: “What we are advising all stakeholders is to keep off politics of delimitation of boundaries since the Water Service Regulatory Board is our point of reference. We should not try to make this issue a guerilla warfare with personal interests as the guiding agenda.”
