The urge to end perennial water shortages in Kilifi and Mombasa Counties has necessitated the Coast Water Works Development Agency to invest in multi-billion projects at its Baricho Water Works station located at Lango Baya area in Kilifi County.
According to the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CWWDA, Martin Tuva said that the Baricho 2 water project includes the laying down of a 29-kilometre transmitter line, the construction of a protection wall at the Baricho wells, as well as the construction of a 5 million litre capacity water tank at Kakuyuni area, will be complete in July this year and it will end the frequent water outages in Malindi and Kilifi towns.
The new pumping system, the pipeline and the water tank will consume Sh. 1.99 billion, while the wells’ protection works along the banks of River Sabaki, will gulp Sh. 791 million, bringing the total cost of the projects to Sh. 2.58 billion and the works are already 90 per cent complete.
“We have water in Baricho but not adequate and according to studies, up to 180 million litres can be extracted on a daily basis, currently we are able to extract up to one ton (1,000 litres) from the good fields per day. But even if we inject that volume into the system we still need to develop other sources because the deficit is still big,” he said, adding that Mwache dam in Kwale once complete, will fill the deficit.
He added that the 800-millimeter diameter pipeline will carry enough water to the 5,000 cubic meter tank at Kakuyuni.
“The protection work is to safeguard the wells against any damage because you cannot spend Sh. 120 million to put up a single well then it is swept away by the floods,” he said.
In 2018, the River Sabaki burst its banks following heavy floods that swept away three out of the eight boreholes and their pumping systems hence disrupting the water supply to Kilifi and Mombasa counties for more than two months.
The Contractor, MS China Railway No 10 Engineering Group through its Manager Li Jie Young said that the wells’ protection work was the only remaining part and it will safeguard them from any disaster.
“We have reached 90 per cent of the project and what we are doing now is doing the protection works for all the eight boreholes at the river bank so that when floods come, they cannot be swept away by floods if they come,” he said.
And for the water to reach the consumer, CWWDA sells its water to water service providers that include the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO) and the Kilifi Mariakani Water and Sewerage Company (KIMIWASCO) who are now developing and rehabilitating water pipelines in a project funded by the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF) and the County Government of Kilifi.
The CEO of WSTF Willis Obayi said that the organization was funding the water supply chains at the tune of Sh. 500 million while the County government of Kilifi contributed 13 per cent of the total cost.
“Once CWWDA has done its work, then we also make sure we support for the water to reach the ones who are targeted and we are funding them to the tune of about Sh. 500 million shillings for the two projects. We provide 78 per cent while the county provides 13 per cent,” he said.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro said that his administration will construct 5 million capacity water tanks in all the seven Sub Counties in the County so that water can be available throughout for residents of Kilifi.
Currently, the water from Baricho is shared with Mombasa County and Kilifi receives water for only four days in a week while the remaining days, water is pumped to Mombasa County.
