By Agwanda Jowi.

60% of the current 126 Water Companies are not sustainable and will be merged with others leading to only 47 water bodies countrywide, says Water and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu.

In a speech read on her behalf by the Director of Water Services Lawrence Simitu during a Water and Sanitation Expo in Kisumu, Ngilu lamented that the current water coverage in the country is 64 % with urban areas having 78% while rural areas being 48%

“The informal settlements have lowest coverage in urban areas where in some towns the coverage is as low as 20% while in the rural areas ASAL areas has the lowest coverage with some areas having coverage as low as 18% and for the sanitation ,the national coverage is about 55% with rural areas having lowest access” she added.

She further said that water security is important in Kenya to develop economically adding that the low water storage coupled with vulnerability to climate change has made the country water insecure and in order to reverse the trend,the Ministry had prioritized development of large dams in the country.

“Construction of the first five dams started in 2008 and will be completed by 2012 at atotal cost kshs 9.5 billion and will impound 11 billion litres of water,the dams are; Kiserian, Badassa, Umaa, Maruba and Chemususu in Kajiado, Marsabit, Kitui,Machakos and Baringo Counties respectively” Ngilu also said.

She further added that in order to achieve Millennium Development Goal Number 7 in the country,about 9 million more people will have to access safe drinking water through development of water infrastructure .

ENDS