Kajiado senior resident magistrate S.O. Temu yesterday visited Ongata Rongai town for a fact-finding mission on an ongoing court case on poor waste water management. Accompanied by other government officials in the area, Temu toured the area with other officials to verify cases of 10 people who have been charged with releasing sewage water to open places and rivers in the town.

Public Health boss Timothy Mutiso said the high population in the peri-urban area has led to an influx of investors. "Some investors avoid incurring costs on exhausters and release waste water on roads where it is washed into rivers during the rainy seasons," said Mutiso. "Water discharged to open places has acted as a breeding ground for mosquitoes leading to the rise of diseases like malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea, cholera, besides leaving the town stinking."

"The Oloolaiser water and Sewerage Company provide treated water to Rongai, Kiserian and Ngong towns and if we allow the reckless flow of waste water, it will contaminate the water," he said. Residents have been complaining of effluent released to rivers and other open places like roads and homes. Despite the growing population and rapid development in Rongai, the town lacks proper sewerage system. Last month, the World Bank granted the Olkejuado County Council Sh480 million for the re-planning of the towns in the county.