Joy Wanja
25 October 2009
Nairobi — Unlicensed water tankers were on Sunday barred from operating in Nairobi slums to curb the spread of diseases. The move came after 11 people died of cholera in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum at the weekend. Slum dwellers had complained that the tankers were the possible source of contamination.
Internal Security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia on Sunday toured Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in Embakasi, together with Nairobi provincial commissioner John Ndirangu and health officials, to assess the situation after the deaths.
The water vending business is a tightly controlled venture, closely monitored by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), though unscrupulous operators have decided to deliver the commodity without authorisation.
The 5,000-litre and 10,000-litre water tankers charge at most Sh5,000 per delivery within Nairobi. Operators are required to pay Sh10,000 per annum to Nairobi City Council for the permit.
"You cannot collect sewage this week and sell water next week from the same tanker," Mr Kimemia warned operators, calling for a list of approved dealers to be issued to district officers and chiefs to ensure only clean and safe water was sold.
The PS urged the town clerk to ensure a thorough inspection of water vendors to prevent further spread of the water-borne disease. In July, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the government had bought water tankers and leased private ones to supply the commodity in some regions during the water crisis.
Since the water is obtained from boreholes sunk in various parts of the city, owners must seek approval from NCWSC prior to selling it to vendors. Mr Ndirangu pledged to distribute food rations to families whose members reported cholera-related illnesses.
On Sunday, Viwandani chief Jackson Wainaina, area councillor Maina Kangara and medical health officer Peter Mugo spent the better part of the day mobilising residents on health measures to curb more deaths in Mukuru Sinai Slum, Industrial Area. A mother aged 35 and her two-year-old daughter were confirmed dead in the slum.
Additional reporting by Sammy Kimatu
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