Nairobi — Water minister Charity Ngilu should move fast in approving a water board in order to facilitate the receiving of funds to rehabilitate the town's sewage system.

According to the Coast Provincial Director of public health Anisa Omar, the board is a prerequisite for the Mombasa Water and Sewage Company (MOWASCO) to receive a grant that would go into rehabilitating the system.

"According to the Mombasa water and Sewarage Company (MOWASCO) a grant of Sh6 billion is expected from the French government to fund the second Mzima pipeline project as well as repair the sewage system. However, the money can not be sent without having a water board in place," said Dr Omar.

Speaking in Mombasa during Public Health Minister Beth Mugo's visit of the area to ascertain the state of cholera in the region and how to control another outbreak, Dr Omar said the system had not been functioning for the past 30 years and required major rehabilitations to avoid a health hazard.

She said most of the town's sewage went out to sea thereby contaminating the region.

Calling for inter-ministerial corporation in order to evade any other health challenges, Ms Mugo asked council officials to step up chlorination of boreholes in order to ensure the water was fit for consumption.

"The ministry is also working on the improvement of toilet usage to control the outbreak of diseases as well as availing central water points for people to clean up their hands," said Ms Mugo.

She asked the municipal officers to work with those from the council to ensure public utilities are well used up and that all markets have clean toilets or they risk facing closure.

She issued a seven-day ultimatum for the Kongowea market to be cleaned up and water tanks build or have it closed down.