Water situation in Nyandarua county
The
Mountain Journal
Despite being home to Sasumua dam which gets water from the Aberdare
Ranges and supplying the commodity to Nairobi access in homes has remained low.
The dam supplies 15 percent of water to
Nairobi, while Ndaka ini dam in Murang’a shares 75 percent of water.
In Nyandarua, 32 percent of the households in
the county are connected to water, being the lowest in Mt Kenya region.
Photo/A section of Aberdare Ranges
Kiambu
has 69 percent, Nyeri 68 percent, Kirinyaga 52 percent and Murang’a 65 percent.
Nyandarua County has the highest proportion of households that rely on shallow
wells (protected) as water sources in Central Kenya at 24%, followed by Kiambu
at 15% and Murang’a at 10%.
Water consumption at the household level also
remains low in the county, with nearly 65% of the households using less than
2000 liters per month compared with only 40% in Nyeri County and 41% in
Murang’a County and 58% national average.
Nyandarua is classified as water insecure,
with the water poverty index estimated as 39% which is significantly lower than
other Central Kenya Counties. The water poverty index uses four indicators
namely; water availability, capacity, access and environment; and Nyandarua
scores poorly on use and capacity, despite scoring high on availability.
Photo/ Sasumua Dam in Nyandarua county
This low score is mainly due to low investment
and spending on water projects, and the low domestic consumption from the water
service providers in the area. The county’s main challenges are in improving
use of water, spending on water and education projects, and access to
sanitation
According
to researchers daily production of Sasumua Dam in Nyandarua County is sufficient
to provide water to every Nyandarua Resident. Yes, the dam provides water to
approximately 15% of Nairobi’s residents which is about 670,000 people higher
than the Nyandarua Population of 638,000 people.
A total of 22 rivers flow through Nyandarua
County, of which eight are permanent, namely Malewa, Ewaso Narok, Pesi,
Turasha, Chania, Kiburu, Mkungi and Kitiri. The county is also home to Lake Ol’
Oborosat, the only lake in Central Kenya, and it’s also the largest water mass
in the county.
The County experiences two rainy seasons with
the long rainy season from March to May, with a maximum rainfall of 1,600 mm
and short rainy season from September to December, with a maximum rainfall of
700 mm. Rainfall intensity varies according to the location. Areas near the
Aberdare slopes receive sufficient rainfall, whereas rainfall in the lower
parts of Ndaragwa plateau is scanty and erratic.
On a positive note, Nyandarua County has among
the highest access to improved sanitation estimated as 82%, which is
significantly higher than the national average of 65%, and also higher than the
estimate for Nyeri (55%) and Murang’a (66%).
On the other end, the county doesn’t have a
sewer system, though a system is currently under construction in Ol Kalau Town
under the national government’s Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation
Programme
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