Northern Water Collector Tunnel (NWCT) is
almost complete, with experts waiting to test the flow of water in the 11.8
kilometres tunnel.
The completion of the project will give Nairobians relief after coping with dry taps for decades.
Water and Sanitation
Principal Secretary Joseph Wairagu said the Sh5.8 billion project is complete
with the contractors working on the final touches.
The tunnel
starts at Ichichi in Kangema to Makomboki in Kigumo and will fetch 140,000
cubic metres of water daily from river Gikigie, Maragua and Irati.
He spoke during the
inspection of the irrigation projects under construction in Mirira and Mukurwe
wa Nyagathanga in Kiharu, Murang’a.
The Chinese
contractors completed excavation of the tunnel on December 18,2019 and
left hardening the inner surface to conform with the standards.
“The problem facing
the project is the unavailability of land between Kigoro and Ng’ethu for the
pipeline. National Land Commission (NLC) is handling the matter to ensure the
project will be completed within the time,” said the PS.
The PS was
accompanied by Chief Executive Officers Mwangi Thuita and Gitonga Mugambi of
Athi Water Works Development Agency and National Irrigation Authority
respectively.
Nationally,
water coverage, he said since 2013 to date has been increased from 50 percent
to 65 percent.
“In the next two
years, the government will increase water coverage to 80 percent as the
government had proposed in 2013.
Ministry of Water has
developed master plans that would enable to meet the target, through the support of
development partners,” he said.
At the same time, the
PS disclosed that the ministry has come up with an application that will block
cartels in the water sector, from fleecing unsuspecting residents in Nairobi.
Wairagu said the
digital platform christened ‘Maji Yetu’ will allow only the registered service
providers operate within Nairobi Metropolitan area once launched.
“The same application
will be developed for use in major towns of Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru, and Kisumu
among others, where the residents can have access services of water bowsers and
exhausters,” said the PS.
The application gives
customers establish the source of water and details of the service
provider.
In May, Athi invited water service providers for registration, a
move the PS said was designed to lock out the cartels from the trade.
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