Written By Ramadhan Kambi 📝
The ongoing water shortage in Malindi has irritated residents, who have promised to stage a protest.
The lack of the product has impacted the tourist resort town of Malindi and its environs hard, according to residents.
They lamented that the water crisis in the area had reached unbearable levels and urged the national government to take over the running of water services from county governments.
They also called for the revival of the Sabaki Water Works to supplement the water produced at the giant Baricho Water Works, which is shared by Kilifi and Mombasa Counties.
Led by rights activist Stembo Kaviha and Malindi Tuk Tuk Drivers Association Chairman Abdalla Mwangi, the residents gave the Coast Water Development Agency and the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO) 14 days to solve the crisis or face the wrath of wananchi through demonstrations.
One of the residents Mr Mwangi, the water crisis in the town and its environs had worsened after water services were devolved to counties and wondered what the main problem could be as the service providers had kept residents in the dark.
“Within Malindi town, it has become impossible for residents to get water for one continuous week, a problem that has persisted for a very long time,” he said.
He asked MWAWASCO to build huge storage tanks in Malindi town to supply water even when there is a problem at the main water works in Baricho.
Mr Kaviha said the two entities had failed to discharge their mandates and urged the national government, through the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to take over their operations.
He said that most parts of the town had experienced water shortages for about two months, while some areas within the town were receiving water in low volumes for a few hours twice a week.
He called on the government to revive the moribund Sabaki Water Works about seven kilometers from Malindi town to supplement the water supplied from the Baricho Water Works about 50 kilometers from the town.
He said reviving the Sabaki Water Works would also secure the land and prevent land grabbers or squatters from encroaching it.
Mr. Mkalla Lewa Govi from Sabaki Ward said residents were being forced to use untreated river water, which he said exposed them to water-borne diseases as the river is highly contaminated.
MAWASCO Managing Director Gerald Mwambire conceded that there was a water supply crisis, but absolved his company from blame saying it only supplies what it gets from the producer (the Coast Water Development Agency).
He told the press in his office that Malindi town requires about 30 cubic meters of water per day, but the volumes had gone to below 18 cubic meters, making it difficult to even to ration the little water due to low pressure.
“For us to be able to ration water effectively, there must be adequate water to build the pressure, but the current scenario is difficult because the pressure is low,” he said.
He directed the media to make a tour of the Baricho Water Works to witness the work going on to solve the problem before he could grant the reporters a comprehensive interview.
Coast Water Development Agency officer in charge of the Baricho Water Works Samuel Soda , however did not allow the scribes to visit the water works.
He however conceded that the problem started when one of the pumps at the water works developed a severe electrical breakdown. He assured residents that technicians were doing their best to fix the problem.
