For two months now, Nairobi and its environs have been experiencing acute water shortage. The situation is getting worse by the day, as water levels at Ndakaini dam dropped to an all-time low of 37 per cent.
Ndakaini, which has a 70 million cubic metre capacity, supplies 80 per cent of domestic water in Nairobi. Its water level has dropped following a prolonged dry spell that has hit many parts of the country, including Kikuyu, Aberdares and Mt Kenya, where rivers that supply the dam get their water. The levels dropped by seven per cent in January alone.
With a population of more than six million people during the day and four million at night, the city requires 700 million litres of water everyday but is now getting only 400 million litres.
Both the national and the county government have urged residents to use water sparingly and have banned car washing business in the city.
Water executive Peter Kimori says the situation is “worrying” and may worsen in the coming days if it doesn’t rain.
“We are in trouble if it doesn’t rain in the near future. The situation is bad and is worsening. Nairobians should use water sparingly,” he said.
As the situation gets dire and the residents suffer and dig deeper in their pockets for the basic need, water vendors have welcomed the situation and are enjoying the returns.
While some operate legally, others are reaping where they did not sow.
Enter the gangs
Gangs and cartels who have illegal connections to the NCWSC pipes have been selling water from those points. The most affected areas are Eastleigh, Mlango Kubwa and Pangani. Reports indicate that about 40 per cent of water supplied in the city does not generate revenue.
We recently visited one of those selling points in Mlango Kubwa. My point man had warned me against any attempts to take pictures or taking notes. He had advised me to dress casually. “Those people are rough, make sure they don't suspect you,” he said before we set off.
We parked a kilometre away and walked through the dirty paths with pedestrians carrying two drums each.
We got to the selling point where vendors lined their carts, most of them filled with drums, waiting for their turn to fill. My point man, who is a resident there, had us excused and we were allowed to get ours filled without having to queue with the wholesalers.
“How many do you have?” a man wearing a cap and who was holding the pipe asked. My point man said two and we were allowed in front. We had to part with Sh40 for the water. “If you are not buying in bulk they charge Sh20 per drum,” he said.
The cartels, we were told, are very cautious, and their bosses have given them instructions not to engage with any media people or water officials. "Those people you saw there are not the owners. There are 'big' people somewhere who pocket the money," said a resident, Martin Wamai.
Jane Muia, a resident of Mlango Kubwa who lives near the water point, said those people have been operating for a long time but they are currently making a killing due to the rationing. “They targeted a main pipe of the supply, and despite the rationing, they never run out of water,” she said.
She said even before the rationing, the cartels used to bribe the NCWSC officials, who would disconnect the water even for a week so they could do business. Since she cannot afford to buy the water in wholesale at that point, Jane waits for the vendors to bring to her at Sh20.
Another resident, Agnes Kabue, who has been buying 20 drums every week since the rationing started, said the water point is fairly reasonable compared to waiting for vendors to bring to the door steps. “I prefer buying water once a week. That way, they sell to me at wholesale, which is cheaper for me,” she said.
A vendor who spoke on condition of anonymity said the selling points are controlled by a gang. “There is another one in Seldom in Pangani and they are in big business now due to the rationing,” he said.
Before the rationing started last month, each vendor would part with Sh5 for a 20 litre drum, but the price has since doubled.
“We are currently paying Sh10 for each 20 litre drum, which we later sell for Sh20,” said another vendor.
In July last year, NCWSC managing director Philip Gichuki said cartels were interfering with its efforts to stop illegal water connections in the city.
“Youth and gangs, especially in informal settlements, are running the illegal connections. We are facing challenges from these cartels. They don’t want to see us in the areas they man,” he said.
Boreholes intervention
While the cartels continue to record profits, the Water ministry, in conjunction with the county government, have rolled out a project to drill 40 boreholes for Sh200 million to mitigate the shortage.
“The boreholes will be complete in three months,” Water CS Eugine Wamalwa said, adding that the cost will be shared in half between the national and the county government. Once completed, he said, the boreholes will add 20 million litres to the city.
Residents say more should be done to tackle the problem. “It's good the government is embarking on this plan, but the cartels who have illegal connections should be neutralised first. We need to be sure the water will be getting to us without brokers,” Pangani resident Jane Wambui said.
A study by the Water Resources Management Authority shows there are over 4,130 boreholes in Nairobi metropolitan. Of these, at least 456 are abandoned. The highest borehole densities are found in Eastleagh North (28), Highridge and Upper Parklands (20), Spring Valley and Muthangari 1(5) with the Central Business District and Upper Hill area having 80 boreholes.
“The rate of borehole drilling and abstraction has accelerated dramatically in past years. This has led to water level decline in parts of the groundwater system, particularly in Nairobi county,” read the study.
However, the county says there are 79 boreholes in Nairobi, and 23 have dried up due to age. "Boreholes, just like human beings, grow old, and if you grow old, you produce less," Governor Evans Kidero said.
Last year, the meteorological department warned that Kenya would face a drought that would last up to the long rains in May. This means Nairobians will continue to experience water shortage and invest more in buying it.
Broken promises
Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta declared drought a national disaster.
Before Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto came to power in 2013, their manifesto had seven key pledges to Kenyans. Of the three pillars of the Jubilee coalition, water was second with the theme: 'Towards safe, clean water for all.'
The coalition partners promised to establish a national water harvesting policy in every village and/or estate as part of the five-year investment plan and to oblige all new developments to include water harvesting programmes. This is yet to begin five years later.
The manifesto outlined the challenges in the sector, such as climate change, population growth and mismanagement of water in irrigated farming.
It noted that Kenya’s water supply has become increasingly unreliable. “Only 60 per cent of Kenyans have access to an improved water supply, but even then, that supply is often intermittent and unreliable. Indeed, only a third of our population is connected to improved sanitation services,” it read.
The manifesto further promised to introduce a system of flat rate water charges on an area basis, with informal settlements receiving services for free.
Among the promised solutions was 'a dramatic overhaul' in the water sector. “Our commitment is to ensure that every Kenyan will have access to clean, safe running water by 2020.”
The coalition promised to “make water policy more accountable and stamp out corruption by combining the current eight regional water service boards into a single national Water Services Authority, with devolved units at county level.”
They also promised Kenyans they would put representatives on the WSA board from the new county governments, NGOs and community-based water action groups.
The WSA would be required to produce a detailed five-year infrastructure investment strategy outlining the investment required to upgrade the water network, and ensure accountability through audits.
The target would be everyone having access to water supply in their counties. “Increase investment in the 117 water service providers by allowing public-private partnerships. Give the Water Services Regulatory Board the power to place a cap on water tariffs.”
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