State takes over six city water systems

The national government has taken over the management of six bulk water systems and waste water treatment facilities in Nairobi, in what could be a blow to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC).

This comes after the water facilities, which were being managed by the firm, were designated national public waterworks, meaning their development, maintenance and management will now be done by the national government.

Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, through a gazette notice, said the management of the facilities will be taken over by Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA).

The agency is mandated to develop, maintain and manage national public waterworks under the Water Act, 2016.

It is also tasked with providing reserve capacity for the purposes of providing water when the regulatory board orders for the transfer of water service functions from a defaulting provider to another licensee.

Interestingly, NCWSC is a water provider licensed by AWWDA.

The facilities taken over include” the Ruiru II Dam and Karimenu II Dam water supply systems, Thika Dam, the Mwagu uand Kimakia intakes, the Ng’ethu Water Treatment Plant, Ruiru and Sasumua dams, the Sasumua Water Treatment Plant, the Kabete Water Treatment Plant, the Ng’ethu-Gigiri transmission pipelines, the Sasumua-Kabete transmission pipelines, the Ruiru Dam-Kabete transmission pipelines, the Kabete-Karen-Ongata Rongai pipeline and the Gigiri-CBD-Mavoko-Kitengela pipeline.

Others are the Dandora Estate Sewerage Treatment Plant and the Kariobangi Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Nairobi Dam.

There is also the Northern Water Collector Tunnel System comprising Northern Collector Tunnel Phase I, Kigoro Water Treatment Plant and water transmission pipelines from Thika Dam to Kigoro Treatment Works at the Gigiri reservoirs.

The Northern Water Collector Tunnel has been under construction under the national government for years, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It is expected supply Nairobi with approximately 140,000 cubic metres of water every day.

“The designation of the above national public water works takes effect from the date of publication of this Gazette Notice, and their maintenance and management shall be vested with Athi Water Works Development Agency,” read ithe July 6, gazette notice.

The new development comes after an announcement by NCWSC that the government had committed to spend Sh18 billion on upgrading the city’s water and sewer systems. Kawangware, Kangemi, Riruta, Waithaka, Kasarani and Embakasi were among the areas in Nairobi earmarked for the programme.

The project is part of the interventions aimed at improving water supply by the firm.