Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said his administration is looking at donor funding to improve water and sewerage infrastructure in Nairobi.
The governor said the county government will lobby for more resources both locally and internationally to enhance existing dilapidated water and sewerage infrastructure.
Speaking during a tour of Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited offices, Governor Sakaja pointed out that the capital city’s water and sewerage infrastructure is dilapidated and depressed and cannot cope with the demands of the current city population.
Consequently, he said his administration will offer the necessary support and resources to ensure Nairobi residents have access to water and basic sanitation services.
“We are counting on you to deliver on the pillar on water and sanitation that I promised Nairobi-and when I sought for their mandate to lead them,” said Mr Sakaja.
“I will do all I can to ensure resources to expand and rehabilitate the infrastructure is available. We need to automate wastewater treatment facilities in Ruai,” he added.
He also stated that the national government in collaboration with the county government of Nai-robi will soon commission the Northern Collector Tunnel (NTC), even as they explore possibilities of developing additional sources of water for Nairobi in future.
He said they will soon commission the project that will inject an additional 140,000 cubic metres of water to Nairobi and its environs.
“We hope that it will ease the burden of water shortage in the city and guarantee dignity to Nairobi residents,” he said.
The over four million residents of the capital have had to put up with water rationing since April 2017, with some estates going without water for weeks at a time, if not months.
Nairobi Water can supply 526,000 cubic metres of water daily to the residents against a demand of more than 850,000 cubic metres, which means that only around 62 per cent of the water demand in the city is met.
It is estimated that the demand keeps increasing by 20,000 cubic metres annually.
