Murang’a County has embarked on drilling 20 boreholes to increase water connections to local homesteads.
Murang’a County Governor Irungu Kang’ata on Wednesday revealed that his administration will give priority to semi-arid areas with low water connections.
He said that several wards' people had asked for the availability of water and that the water from the boreholes will supplement that from the local water companies.
During ceremonies for World Water Day, the Governor spoke as he began drilling a borehole at Mbogoini Primary School in Kuhumbu Ward of Kigumo Sub County.
He stated that the County's water connectivity is now at roughly 60%, and with the installation of the boreholes, connectivity is anticipated to reach more than 70%.
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“Water is one of our priorities and the County administration is working with local water companies to increase connections to homesteads,” he stated.
According to Kang'ata, some semiarid Wards, such as Makuyu, Kambiti, and Ithanga, among others, are expected to gain access to boreholes before the year is over.
The county administrator said that Kahumbu ward has a low number of water connections and that the Mbogoini borehole is anticipated to provide more than 15 000 homesteads, increasing water availability for locals.
The officials present demanded that water projects run by the national and county governments be properly coordinated.
Kigumo MP Joseph Munyoro said despite his Constituency having perennial rivers, the water connection is low but with improved planning, water may be extracted from Aberdare woods and given to communities.
“We appreciate the borehole but since the national government has the responsibility of providing bulky water, we request for a major project which will see water being tapped from upper parts of the constituency and be distributed to locals especially to lower parts of Kahumbu which receive minimal rainfall,” added Munyoro.
On her part, Murang'a County Woman Representative, Betty Maina called for more resources to implement water projects.
She said as the County embarks to provide domestic water, there is a need to provide the commodity to actualize irrigation farming.
“There is a need to provide water for irrigation farming. Currently people are experiencing food shortage due to a prolonged dry spell which was experienced in the county,” she averred.
Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company Managing Director Engineer Daniel Ng’ang’a lauded the sinking of water boreholes saying the move will ensure they have plenty of the commodity to connect more families.
He revealed that his company has embarked to conserve water catchment areas by planting trees so as to ensure continuous availability of water.
