The government plans to ensure all families living near water sources access the commodity before it is piped to other regions, Water CS Zachariah Njeru has said.
The CS said a lot of people living near water towers and sources have been complaining of lack of water.
He directed Athi Water Services Board and the Water Resources Authority to ensure all homes near water sources access the commodity.
“We want to ensure each and every Kenyan access clean water. Those near water sources should get it before it is piped to other regions,” Njeru said.
Lari MP Mburu Kahangara said although the constituency has four big water sources including dams and rivers, the beneficiaries are people in other regions while residents are left fetching water from wells and streams.
The legislator said residents assist the Kenya Forest Service, environmentalists and the government to protect forests to conserve the water sources.
“We have forests such as Uplands, Kijabe, Kinale, Matathia and Kamae and all have water sources. Surprisingly, residents neighbouring these sources do not benefit,” Kahangara said.
“Water from these forests is piped to Limuru, Ndeiya, parts of Kiambu and Nairobi.”
The MP asked the government to ensure residents get clean piped water to motivate them to continue protecting the forests.
They spoke in Githogoiyo, Nyamweru block of Uplands forest in Lari constituency in Kiambu during the National Tree Growing Day on Monday.
Kiambu Ecosystem Conservator Thomas Kiptoo said 26,500 trees were planted.
He said the tree planting exercise was carried out in many parts of Kiambu county such as Tigoni police station, St Paul’s University, Ondiri Swamp, Thogoto Forest, Kijabe Forest and Kinale Forest.
Water Resource Authority chief executive Mohamed Shurie said they have started educating communities on the need to protect riparian areas.
He said they train them on the types of trees to grow on riparian lands.
Other leaders present included Water PS Julius Korir, Kiambu county commissioner Joshua Nkanatha, Lari deputy county commissioner Samuel Kariuki, Kiambu county water executive David Kuria, among others.