More woes for city residents as water supply to be cut off, again

Water vendor

A vendor fills up at a watering point in Kibra on August 25. Nairobi residents are forced to contend with water rationing, dry taps and expensive deliveries by bowsers.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

A section of Nairobi residents will go without water between Thursday and Friday as a result of a shut down of water supply pipeline along Waiyaki Way at the Kabete Water Treatment Plant.

The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited said the water interruption is a result of the ongoing construction of the Nairobi Expressway.

Affected areas include MP Shah Hospital, Sarit Centre and surrounding estates, estates along Waiyaki Way, Rhapta Road, Parklands Road, Mpaka Road, Chiromo Lane, Manyani and Church roads.

Others are Highridge and Westlands areas, Muguga Green Estate, Nairobi School and Kabete Barracks.

According to Nairobi Water Managing Director Engineer Nahashon Muguna, the shutdown will facilitate the interconnection of relocated pipeline to the old pipeline along Waiyaki Way from the old Safaricom Building to the junction of Waiyaki Way and Prof Wangari Maathai Road.

This will see water supply to the affected areas interrupted between 6am Thursday and 6am Friday, September 10, 2021.

“This will enable release of the road section between Old Safaricom House, the junction of Waiyaki Way and Prof Wangari Maathai Road to the Expressway contractor,” said Mr Muguna.

Four water supply interruptions

“We appeal to our customers for indulgence and also urge them to use available water sparingly as we work towards restoring the supply,” he added.

Last month, a similar water supply interruption lasted three days due to shut down of the Dagoretti and Uthiru water pumps.

The water supply interruption mostly affected the western parts of the capital as the urban utility firm installed suction mains and delivery headers at the Dagoretti and Uthiru pumps at Kabete pumping station.

This year alone, city residents have had to endure at least four water supply interruptions by the urban water utility firm in February, May, June and last month; all due to infrastructural upgrades.

Nairobi has been experiencing water rationing since April 2017 forcing most residents to turn to water from boreholes or those supplied at exorbitant prices by water vendors.

Only about 50 percent of Nairobi residents have direct access to piped water while the rest depend on water from kiosks, vendors, illegal connections or boreholes.

But even those with direct access to piped water, only 40 percent of this lot receive water 24 hours per day with the rest just 11 hours on average.