Share revenue with us or no more supply, Governor Badilisha tells Nairobi Water
Nyandarua Governor, Kiarie Badilisha at a past event. He has ordered for a headcount of all county staff.
Nyandarua County leaders led by Governor Kiarie Badilisha want a share of the revenues generated by water companies supplying the commodity to Nairobi and Nakuru counties. The leaders said they will not allow firms like the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (Nairobi Water) to continue sourcing water from Sasumwa Dam in Njabini, Kinangop constituency.
Nairobi Water gets its supplies from three main sources: Ndakaini Dam (Murang'a County), Sasumua Dam (Nyandarua County) on the Chania River, and the Chania-B Dam (Murang'a County).
Nyandarua County leaders claimed local residents faced water shortages despite being custodians of the precious resource and the environment around it.
“Nyandarua remains deeply neglected when it comes to fulfilment and actualization of the Kenya Vision 2030 projects and programmes. Some of these projects, like the mega dams, have never kicked off seven years after they were promised,” said Mr Badilisha.
“It is unacceptable that residents of the Njabini-Kiburu, who are the hosts to the Sasumua Dam supplying billions of litres of water to Nairobi, cannot be supplied with water from the dam,” he added.
He said the residents of Malewa who are hosts to Konoike Dam are suffering the same fate.
“This will not continue happening under my watch,” said Governor Badilisha.
He said Nyandarua leaders will not allow implementation of the Malewa Dam strategic planning, which is designed to serve Naivasha, Gilgil, and other parts of Nakuru county unless the feasibility study is redone to include Nyandarua as a beneficiary.
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Leshao Pondo MCA Kamau Gathungu said continued delays in implementing the water projects which include Pesi, Malewa, and Kinja dams have affected the local economies in Ndaragua Constituency.
Local economies
“The dams were designed and promised more than seven years ago. Regrettably, schools in Laikipia county benefit from government-funded school feeding programme while those in Leshao Pondo which neighbour Laikipia are denied the same benefit,” he added.
He noted that the implementation of the water projects will enable the schools start their own feeding programmes by engaging in farming activities as the schools have huge parcels of land that can feed the learner population.
He said the Assembly supports the call by the governor to have the dam projects completed and Nyandarua residents given first priority.
“The Assembly supports the governor's initiative to lobby and bring the water resources to Nyandarua,” said the ward rep.
