Kitengela residents blame cartels for acute water shortage
Residents of Kitengela, Kajiado County are grappling with an acute water shortage as cartels make a killing from the lucrative water vending business.
Clean water now sells at between Sh30 and 50 while salty water sells at between Sh10 and 20 in the populous town that was elevated to a municipality last year.
The water shortage is evident by the high number of rooming water kiosks, deserted water points, busy water bowsers, donkeys carrying jerrycans of water, hand carts, hundreds of empty jericans and long queues at water points.
A national government water project launched in 2019 now remains a white elephant.
Eight kiosks built by the county government to a tune of Sh20 million and which sold water for Sh3 for 20-litres are now closed and deserted.
Residents are wondering why the clean water was disconnected but water browsers fetch the water from the same source (Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company) and sell to locals at exorbitant prices.
“We are incurring high cost on water. It is disappointing to have a municipal town without water. The national and county governments invested millions in a non-existing water project. Those involved should be accountable and take responsibility for duping an entire population about an essential commodity, “said Alex Musyoka, a resident.
“We are also concerned and worried about the cleanness of the water we are buying. Nobody can account for the source of the water being hawked. The water cleanness can be compromised and cause harm to users,”said Ann Njiraini, a resident.
