Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:18:57
By Shem Kosse
The incessant perennial water problem that has dogged the lakeside city of Kisumu for decades is soon becoming a thing of the past.
This follows the move by the French Development (AFD) to fund the city’s water supply and sanitation project to the tune of close to 1.8 billion shillings, over two years ago. The project was spread to two phases.
The contract sum of the first phase is a staggering 430 million shillings and the second one that is yet to kick off is a whooping 1.2 billion shillings. The ongoing former phase, aimed at addressing short-term measures, is to re-institute water and sewerage services to its original design capacities, when completed.
The fate of the latter phase is long-term and depends squarely on the successful completion of the initial phase. It will address additional production capacities by installing new intake works and additional treatment facility to meet the water demand to the letter.
In an exclusive interview by this journalist, the leading Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lake Victoria South Water Services Board (LVSWSB) Engineer Patrick Limumba Ombogo who is in charge of overseeing water companies’s operations in the larger Nyanza and South rift, disclosed that phase one of the project is almost complete.
“Up to date a stupendous 375million shillings have been paid by AFD to the Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO) which has been used for the better part of the work. And what remains is only reinforcement of distribution lines such bursts lines among others,†said the soft-spoken Ombogo.
The pragmatic Ombogo divulged the key areas in which works have been completed so far. At the top of the list is Dunga water intake point, the line stretching between water treatment works and the open air market Kibuye.
Other twin areas that are operational after undergoing massive rehabilitation are the once ineffective Kibuye Water Reservoir and Kisumu Sewerage Treatment plant(KISAT),situated off Kisumu Busia road. Included are thirty state-of-the-art kiosks, ten stand pipes and 3,000 meters of purchased water consumption.
The majority of Kisumu residents interviewed over the prevailing water situation vis a vis the previous years, thanked the French government’s noble gesture and expressed optimism that very soon they will overcome the minimal water hitches currently bedeviling them.
“It’s a sigh of relief compared to the yester years. Water is life†quipped one resident from the sprawling slums of Manyatta while drawing water from a kiosk.
KIWASCO, just like other water companies in Nyeri, Nairobi and Eldoret, was formed mainly to make it possible for the government to negotiate loans from donor communities for the improvement of water and sewage services on a commercial basis. Under these circumstances and for these purposes, the government was able to obtain an extension of the AFD loan.
The vibrancy of the KIWASCO outfit is credited of the efficient management of the Managing Director Engineer David Onyango, under the tutelage of the CEO Ombogo.
Aside from the French-funded Kisumu water project aside, the diplomatic Ombogo has cashed in on his globetrotting ties to solicit donor assistance to further fund water supply and sanitation projects in other far flung regions within his jurisdiction.
Leading the pack of the would-be chief beneficiaries of the donor funding is the expansive Migori district with a package totaling 1 billion shillings from the African Development Bank (ADB). Rarieda comes in a distant second at the cost of 230 million shillings from the Japanese International Corporation Association (JICA). Suba has obtained 100 millions from Italy and tea-zone Kericho has attracted a perk of 10 million shillings from the German Technical Corporation (GTZ). Another Kshs 200 million and 20 million, are earmarked for good governance in the LVSWSB’s board area and for Sanitation Diagnostic Studying by UN Habitat, respectively.
END
That sounds fine, not evryone in Kisumu is happy. If you moved along the road that connects car wash [migosi], kaego, Koyango market to Sije bar you’ll notice that homes / houses on opposie sides of this road have never known when they’ll ever get piped water. Along here handcart pushers sell a 20 litre jerican of water at 10 KSH and 15 to 20 KSH when there is a shortage. During campaigns Shabir promised to look at this but he has never mentioned it again. Can KIWASCO come in and rescue residents around here.
Thanks
Ochieng
This is good news. I will have to agree with John on this.
I live in the USA and was at home during the month of March. I was in Migosi/ Car Wash area for a weekend and was shocked at the scarcity of water.
The guys with the carts who were selling water are getting water right within carwash! How is this possible? They seem to be buying the water from certain points within the estate that are getting water. Now how is this possible? how is it that some people are able to have water within an estate while the rest have none?
To tell you the truth I think there’s some thing fishy here. It looks to me that some people are bribing someone at city hall for this ” privilege”. I this is not so, then maybe it rains only over their houses or they buy water from someone else.
Kisumu residnts also seem to have accepted this situation. Why hav they accepted this? Do they pay theri taxes like the rest of Kenyans or not?
People need to stand up for their rights. Lets have water fro all Kisumu residents ad remove all corrupt officials from City Hall or no matter how much money is pumped into KIWASCO, there will be no water for wananchi.
It is impossible to believe that water shortage is coming to an end. Corruption that has dogged the municipality has not allowed the Kisumu Residents to have clean water for domestic consumption. Let us hope that change is coming soon. Let’s keep our fingers crossed now that we have Jakom (His excellency Raila Amolo Odinga and his ODM foot solders at the helm). God bless Joka Nyanam
Like many i’ve read with great interest the article about solving the water problem in Kisumu. Most would consider it rather ironic that there is a water problem in Kisumu with a fresh water lake right there!
The foreign goverments/bodies have been ‘economic’ enablers and must be commended for these efforts. However, what we have always lacked is some accountability. There are always cries for the citizenry to ‘stand up for their rights.’ I must admit, as local mwananchi how to go about it is a black box. How does the boda boda operator do this? And perhaps to narrow the scope, particularly with this water project, what involvment do the locals play to ensure a successful implementation? I pray that one day we can look at infastructure type projects and say that we are happy they got completed, and if that is not the case, go beyond taking solace that they failed because of corruption. The failure was due to x y an z, and this is what we’ve done to educate our people and officials so that it is not repeated.
Kenyan bright minds, what are the empowerment avenues available?
to solve the problem of water sortage,it just to stop the water vendor from selling the water since they are the pple who are breaking the pipe sinse they dont want other area to have water.any wai water should not be a problem in ksm yet the lake is there.we should enjoy having tap water.for the problem to solve the local should be involve in the project planing and implementing.(pp
AIO – HAS HELP DRILL WATER WELLS NEAR KENDU BAY, TO SCHOOLS OF OSIKA, SIMBI, KIMIRA, AND LOWER OSIKA COMMUNITY WATER WELLS, THESE WERE DONE BY DONOURS FOR ALLENPOWER INTERNATIOANL ORGANIZATION AS ACHARITABLE DONATIONS.
THE PROJECTS WERE OVER SAW BY somomon Ariki Opere and Christopher Ogogo.
any one who needs to help to contact AIO WE WANT TO DO MORE WELLS IN THE REGION OF RACHUONYO .
THANK YOU ALL