Jonathan Manyindo
10 July 2009
Nairobi — Mombasa residents are set to face a major water crisis due to the high number of illegal connections along the main Mzima pipeline in Voi district.
The connections are believed to be a private deal between water company officials and other powerful forces within the government which has allowed the activity to proliferate between Maungu and Bachuma area, with the water being used mainly for watering of livestock.
The pastoralist communities that have settled along the Nairobi Mombasa road and railway reserve have constructed cattle water troughs used for watering thousands of cattle and this has blamed for the persistent water shortage in the coastal town.
Tavevo Water and Sewarage company chief executive Engineer Patrick Mwaeke confirmed that there were illegal connections but said were already disconnected.
Speaking in Wundanyi after a District Development Committee meeting, Mr Mwaeke blamed the problem on the Provincial administration and KWS senior officers.
"This is a security issue that revolves around very powerful people in the government and I am not competent enough to discuss it here but the fact remains that we have removed the meters," he said.
He said the meters were illegally connected just to clear suspicion from the public who on several occasions raised concern but were not reflected in the company records.
"I do not know who they have been paying the bills to because even the monthly water bills they had did not come from us," he said.
Voi District Officer Mr George Kamwero said the Provincial administration had nothing to do with water and grazing of livestock in the parks.
"We are being accused for no apparent reason since we do not have any connection with livestock and water, those who do that are known and they have to carry their own cross," he said.
The Coast Water service Board has been losing millions of shillings from the syndicate since the Maasai community settled along the road and railway reserve at Maungu more than five years ago.
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