Fear of water crisis in Trans Nzoia over Natembeya, Nzowasco row
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
Trans Nzoia County residents are staring at a possible piped water supply crisis if the impasse between the county government and the Nzoia Water and Sewerage Company (Nzowasco) persists.
The county government has already formed a new company, Trans Nzoia Water and Sewerage Company (Transwasco), as it seeks to sever links with Nzowasco, which also operates in Bungoma County where it is headquartered.
The Nzowasco ownership dispute has caught the attention of the Senate Committee on Public Investments and Special Funds, which has tasked Governor George Natembeya and his Bungoma counterpart Ken Lusaka to find an amicable solution within a month.
The Senate watchdog committee also raised the red flag over plans to split Nzowasco, calling for legal interpretation to ensure an amicable solution. The two counties are embroiled in a management tussle of the company, with each claiming control.
The stalemate has seen Nzowasco suffer financial constraints as none of the two counties is willing to finance it, thus hampering its operations.
In the fight, each county government is claiming majority shareholding in the company, and attempts to midwife a truce since 2021 have not yielded fruit.
Nzowasco was formed in 2004 during the advent of defunct local authorities to provide water for Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.
The control dispute has been blamed for sinking the firm into a loss of Sh16 million in the fiscal year ended June 2021 after it made profits of Sh7 million in the two previous financial years.
“We are living in uncertainty since there is no clear information from the county government on how it intends to roll out its water distribution,” said Mr John Soita, a Nzowasco customer.
But Governor Natembeya insists that Nzowasco is a raw deal to his Trans Nzoia people, and already the county has announced a divorce from the firm to form its own Transwasco. “Even as a county, we have no representation in the top leadership of the company,” he said.
The Trans Nzoia Governor has revealed that the move to form its own water company will enhance revenue collection and ensure reliable water service for residents.
County Executive Member for Water and Natural Resources Patrick Gacheru has confirmed the separation, saying it's time for Trans Nzoia to have its own water company, which will be operational by August.
“Yes, it is true we already have formed our company and have already applied for a licence from the Water Services and Regulatory Board (WASREB), which we are waiting for,” Mr Gacheru told Nation.Africa in an exclusive interview.
In a letter to WASREB dated July 13, 2023 and seen by Nation, the county government declined to appoint Nzowasco as a service provider with the expiry of its contract ending by August 31.
Mr Gacheru said the county is also waiting for a report from a task force formed by Governor Natembeya to undertake a feasibility study on commercial viability and sharing of assets and liabilities as it separates from Nzowasco.
He said the move aims to boost service delivery and the oversight role of the county government in the management of water services in the county.
“You can imagine we have over 16,000 dormant water connections and many customers who have applied for connections, but are yet to be done. Nzowasco has been giving us a raw deal in provision of services for our people. That is why we have formed our own company," said Mr Gacheru.
Governor Natembeya said he has put in place elaborate plans to enhance efficiency in providing water to residents.
Nzowasco is headquartered in Webuye, Bungoma County.
The concerns raised come in the backdrop of Trans Nzoia County struggling to manage the population in the fast-growing Kitale town.
“There are two treatment works at Bidii ward and Machinjoni area in Kitale town that are substandard. The sewerage system in Kitale town has not been extended to reflect the population growth,” a source at Nzowasco told Nation.Africa.
According to Mr Gacheru, the county government has plans to use innovative systems to improve the sewer line and expand garbage collection mechanisms.
“We intend to rehabilitate the faulty sewer lines and the draining sewerage system, including moving our town garbage collections centres,” he added.
Meanwhile, Trans Nzoia county government will soon launch a lucrative bottled water venture to bolster its financial standing and offer the prospects of employment for residents.
County Secretary Truphosa Amere said the ambitious project is taking shape on an expansive eight-acre plot at the Kitale industrial park.
The facility, set to be operational within three weeks, will mark the commencement of the water bottling venture.
“The imminent availability of Kitale Springs bottled water on the market will be a great milestone in our value addition agenda,” Ms Amere stated.
