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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