Residents of Lodwar town are grappling with prolonged water shortages, with households, rental units, hotels, accommodation facilities and government offices going for days without running water and resorting to emergency alternatives.
The crisis has disrupted daily activities and forced residents and businesses to seek alternative supplies, including water bowsers, as concerns mount over the reliability of the town's water distribution network.
Authorities have attributed the shortages to vandalism of critical water infrastructure, ageing pipelines and recurrent bursts that have affected the distribution system.
In Kanamkemer Ward, which relies on water supplied from the Napuu aquifer, sections of the pipeline network linking the source to three elevated storage tanks have been vandalised. Other sections have experienced recurrent failures, resulting in low pressure and disrupting supply to households.
Residents say the problem extends beyond damage to the main distribution network, with criminals also targeting water infrastructure within residential compounds.
Mr Mark Mekede, a resident of Kanamkemer, said individuals had been breaking into residential compounds and stealing water taps and gate valves, which he alleged were sold to dealers dealing in stolen copper and brass items.
"This criminal activity is escalating and has now personally affected me as well as my neighbours. The damage and inconvenience caused are significant, and if this menace is not addressed promptly, the impact could become enormous," Mr Mekede said.
He appealed to security agencies to investigate the thefts and apprehend those responsible, including people buying the stolen items.
Mr Mekede said the vandalism had compounded the water shortage, forcing affected residents to depend on water bowsers to meet their daily needs.
Ms Bethsheba Ekalale questioned why Kanamkemer residents were experiencing prolonged water shortages despite their ward representative, James Ikeny, chairing the County Assembly's Water Committee.
She said residents expected Mr Ikeny to push for a lasting solution to the problem, particularly as he too had been forced to rely on water trucking because of the unreliable supply.
"We expect that our MCA, who is also forced to resort to water trucking because of the prolonged water scarcity, will ensure that his ward has reliable supply. County water ministry officials and Turkana Urban Water and Sewerage Company (TUWASCO) should have a long-term strategy to address water scarcity across Lodwar municipality," Ms Ekalale said.
On Wednesday, Mr Ikeny wrote to TUWASCO Managing Director Kelly Lemuya expressing concern over the prolonged shortage in Kanamkemer Ward, saying residents had gone for weeks without a reliable supply.
A water aquifer in Napuu near Lodwar town in Turkana Central Sub County.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
"I wrote to express my grave concern over the prolonged water shortage in Kanamkemer Ward, where residents have gone for weeks without a reliable water supply. This situation is disrupting households, businesses, and livelihoods, and requires urgent intervention," he said.
He asked the utility and the County Ministry of Water to publicly explain the cause of the disruption, including whether it was linked to outstanding Kenya Power bills, a power disconnection affecting pumping operations or unpaid water bills by consumers.
"The public deserves clear answers," he said.
Mr Ikeny said if the shortage resulted from unpaid bills by individual consumers, the utility should restore supply to customers who had met their obligations while taking appropriate action against defaulters, instead of subjecting an entire ward to the consequences.
"Businesses are incurring daily losses, and residents should not be penalised for obligations they have fulfilled. As the elected representative of Kanamkemer Ward, I call for immediate action, transparent communication, and a lasting solution to restore reliable water supply to my constituents. I trust that this matter will receive the urgency and seriousness it deserves," he said.
However, TUWASCO dismissed claims that the recent water shortage was caused by disconnection of electricity supply by Kenya Power over outstanding bills.
Mr Lemuya said the disruption resulted from major bursts along the old pipeline, frequent failures caused by substandard pipes, particularly those connecting the Napuu aquifer to Nawoitorong village, and vandalism of distribution networks.
He also cited damage to pipelines along Ekaales Centre and Lodwar Vocational Training Centre as contributing to the disruption.
He said the old pipeline serving Kanamkemer and other parts of Lodwar had experienced recurrent failures, resulting in high levels of non-revenue water and low pressure.
"Our technical team has completed emergency repairs and water supply has been restored. However, full stabilisation will take place within 48 hours as pressure builds up. There is no blanket disconnection of compliant customers due to defaulters," Mr Lemuya said.
He urged residents of Kanamkemer with outstanding water bills to clear them, saying payments were necessary to sustain the utility's operations, including electricity costs, procurement of water treatment chemicals and other administrative expenses.
Mr Lemuya said the Kakamer water supply project had been drilled and equipped with a new borehole, which was already serving residents with clean and safe water.
He added that the County Ministry of Water Services and TUWASCO planned to extend the Loborot water pipeline to Trans-Africa and Sand Fields to improve supply to the areas.
For a longer-term solution, the utility has proposed installing solar power systems at all boreholes and replacing substandard pipelines in Nawoitorong and Kawalase areas of Lodwar town.
Mr Lemuya said the utility also planned to drill additional boreholes at the Napuu aquifer to supplement existing infrastructure, with the proposals expected to be undertaken through the Ministry of Water Services.
The company is also engaging the county government on measures to make energy costs more sustainable, as electricity expenses remain part of the operational burden associated with pumping and distributing water.
"As a long-lasting solution, we have proposed for solarisation of all boreholes and replace substandard pipelines within Nawoitorong and Kawalase areas within Lodwar town to end recurrent bursts of the pipelines and drill more boreholes at Napuu Aquifer to support the existing infrastructure through the Ministry of Water Services. We are also engaging the county government on long-term energy cost sustainability," Mr Lemuya said.
While the utility says emergency repairs have restored supply, residents are seeking assurance that the interventions will address the recurring failures and prevent households, businesses and public institutions from being plunged into another prolonged shortage.
