Gatanga MP Joseph Nduati wants the government to distribute 10 per cent of the water harnessed from the Ndakaini Dam to his constituents.
The constituency hosts the dam that supplies water to Nairobi county. Nduati said most homes in Gatanga are not connected to tap water.
Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations in Gatanga on Tuesday, Nduati said it is only fair for the government to distribute some of the water from Ndakaini to locals. “Lack of water is one of the main challenges we face, yet we host one of the biggest dams in the country,” he said.
The dam, whose construction began in 1988, supplies 82 per cent of water for domestic use in Nairobi county. It sits on 1,200 acres.
The government has invested in the Sh6 billion Northern Water Collector Tunnel that harnesses 142,000 cubic meters of water from rivers Maragua, Gikigie and Irati and drains it into Ndakaini.
The tunnel is funded by the World Bank and is expected to greatly boost water supply in the city of Nairobi.
Senator Irungu Kang’ata said he will introduce a bill in the assembly that seeks to give the county government control over water resources, including the Ndakaini Dam.
The bill, Kang’ata said, will help the county government get revenue from the water that is supplied to Nairobi by the Athi Water Services Board.
“I am sure the government will not have a problem helping this constituency with a small percentage of the water,” Nduati said. The MP also lauded the government for committing to connect Murang’a and Nyandarua counties through the Gatura-Mataara-Njabiini road that runs through the constituency.
He said the road will improve the economy by increasing the number of visitors. “Towns will grow as people travel from Murang’a to Nyandarua,” Nduati said.