Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata will introduce a Bill which seeks to give the county government authority over all water companies and resources.
He said this will bring to an end the feuds between the county government and water companies.
Kang’ata said the Bill will also give the county government control over the Ndakaini Dam, which supplies water to Nairobi county.
He said the county will be able to get revenue from the dam that supplies 80 per cent of water for domestic use to Nairobi city. “It will be clearly spelt out in the Bill that the dam will now be vested upon the county government,” Kang’ata said.
A debate over the dam and whether or not the Murang’a government should charge for the water supplied to Nairobi county was sparked by the Northern Water Collector Tunnel project in 2015.
Local leaders wanted Nairobi county to pay Sh1 per cubic meter supplied, adding the 11.8-km long tunnel that taps water from three rivers and drains it into Ndakaini Dam would have long-term effects on the county.
Water CS Eugene Wamalwa, however, said the national government would establish water projects worth Sh4.4 billion to compensate locals.
Kang’ata said the county government should have full control of the water sector to streamline it and ensure locals get the commodity at affordable prices.
“The county government will now be able to levy some charges on Nairobi residents who use our water and the money will help connect more locals with water,” he said.
Kang’ata said the chaos in the sector has been brought about by the fact water companies do not answer directly to the county government.
“The county government is the single shareholder of water companies in their memorandum and articles of association,” he said.