No Water in Kwale After Government Fails to Pay Power Bills

The crisis, which has lasted for three weeks, forced residents to turn to unhealthy or expensive sources of water after vendors hiked the price.

The shortage was occasioned by electricity disconnections by the power supplier in all KWASCO water supplying points in Marere and Magodzoni due to accumulative electricity bills.

However, the County government through Water & Sanitation Committee Deputy Chair at the County Assembly Michael Mutua  confirmed that they have paid Ksh 7 million out of the Ksh 14 million which they owe Kenya Power. 

"We paid Ksh 7 million and they have not yet restored power. We are trying our best to clear the remaining" he said.

Residents have expressed their fear of waterborne disease outbreak. 

Hemedi Salim said that they are fetching water from a drying seasonal river where people wash clothes and bath.

“This is the same water we are using to cook and drink, we might get sick,” he said.

Water shortage a blessing in disguise

Zainab Bakari said she is forced to spend most of her time fetching water from far sources which is not even enough for the household use.

She added that they have minimized usage of the precious commodity and sometimes go without bathing. 

The shortage is a blessing to others like Maulid Almasi who owns a borehole at the outskirts of Kwale town.

To him the business is booming as he has now doubled the price of a twenty litre jerry can from Ksh 5 to Ksh 10.

Boda boda operators who deliver water to their clients’ homes are reaping handsomely as they are charging up to Ksh 200 per trip of four twenty litres jerry cans. 

Mr Mutua said they are trying to solve the problem as soon as possible by approving a supplementary budget to get cash to clear the remaining bill.

“The remaining Ksh 7 million will be cleared as soon as we approve a supplementary budgte which we are hoping to table next week” he said.

 By Musalia Wycliffe