The Mountain Journal
People to get water through efforts by Wairagu wa Maii
The supremacy battle between Kenneth Matiba and Gikonyo Kiano left Kiharu constituency (formerly Mbiri) people thirsty, despite the water projects started in the 1970’s.
The two leaders, now deceased, frustrated each other’s projects and locals had to fetch water in wells and rivers.
In the 1970’s Dr Kiano founded the Wangu Water Project intended to serve in the vast Kahuhia location, the home turf of his opponent was abandoned after he was frustrated.
Photo/ Water and Irrigation Principal Secretary Wairagu wa Maii in one of the projects in Murang’a county.
Matiba moved to establish the Gakurwe Water Project in Gaturi ward before it folded after three years after locals declined to bear maintenance costs and the diesel powered pump was vandalised.
Peter Kamau, an elder in Gaturi ward said the battle between the two leaders denied the area its share of development and traders in the markets were forced to sink bore holes for their tenants.
“Kiharu suffered in their hands as each frustrated the project of the other, while the two water projects failed during their time,” said Kamau, a resident of Karichiungu village.
The two projects, decades after, are being facilitated by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation after the local leadership sought for intervention.
The Gakurwe Water Project was started in 1979 but decades later it remained a pipe dream as the water pump installed by the late Matiba was stolen after the pump house was broken into and vandalised.
James Mwangi, a resident at Gaitheri market, said the downfall of the project followed locals’ failure to incur the maintenance costs.
The Water project, he said, has been politicized for years as locals contribute millions of shillings with no return.
Launching the project, Water Principal Secretary Joseph Wairagu said the revival has cost the Athi Water Works Development Agency Sh220 million.
It draws water from Kiamuturi to Gakurwe a distance of approximately 50 kilometres with an extension to Kiambugi area.
Wairagu said the government was committed towards giving the people enough water for domestic and irrigation purposes.
Water, he said, has been a problem in the locality for decades, as politicians turned it to a campaign platform.
The locals fetch water in the Thairu, Nyakaria, Ndurumo and Mathioya rivers, after some of the bore holes dried up following the impact of climate change.
In the Wangu area, the much-awaited project to serve the lower parts of Kahuro is being revived after the locals turned to fetch water from the wells and nearby streams, as the installed metallic pipes rot in the ground.
The journey to revive the project was initiated when President Uhuru Kenyatta received a plea from leaders led by Wangu MCA Kamote wa Ciama during the 2017 campaign meeting at Karuri market.
Photo/ Wangu MCA Kamote waciama inspecting the digging of trenches in Wangu water project funded by Ministry of Water and Irrigation.
After the plea by the leaders, Kenyatta ordered the water issues in Murang’a county to be addressed with urgency it deserves to end the suffering the locals were going through, as he termed Matiba and Kiano as visionary leaders.
Kamote said after the directive, the Water and Irrigation Principal Secretary formed a team to ensure water pipes estimated to cover 150 kilometers were delivered.
The water project is part of the compensation to Murang’a for hosting the Northern Water Collector Tunnel.
There are 10 complete projects estimated at Sh5 billion, and others valued at Sh2.2 billion which are ongoing.
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