The Mountain Journal
Scores of people are on police radar after they are suspected to be stealing water from the infrastructure belonging to Murang’a Water (Muwasco).
The water firm is estimated to be losing in excess of water valued at Sh60 million per year following specialized stealing of the commodity from the distribution line.
At the centre of interest is Kiharu estate where Muwasco technicians have been inspecting their infrastructure following revelation that there were increased illegal connections and vandalism of the equipment.
The company’s Managing Director Eng Daniel Ng’ang’a said they have been forced to launch operations following increased cases of vandalism and illegal connections that are causing the company revenue loss.
Ng’ang’a said just like other utility companies, MUWASCO suffers vandalism of its network, which illegal connections are resulting in unbilled water leading to revenue loss and poor quality service that are denting the image of the company.
Speaking in Kiharu estate of Kiharu constituency where they nabbed a man for illegal connection in his home and hostels, Ng’ang’a said the incidents were on the increase saying for the last two weeks they had nabbed over 10 people who are commercial users and taken them to court.
The company said in collaboration with the police and residents, it has increased surveillance and stiffer legal penalties to ensure that they eliminate illegal connections, by-passing of meters and theft of their equipment.
He said the millions lost annually would have been used to build new networks and better the service.
“We have given illegal consumers amnesty to regularise their connections or else they go hard on the illegal consumers because of its overall impact on the economic activities of the areas where it happens,’ said the MD.
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