• Tunnel was to be launched by the President during this year’s Jamhuri Day
• It's meant to boost water supply to Nairobi
Image: Alice Waithera
A lawsuit and construction hitches are delaying the completion of the Sh6.9 billion Northern Collector Tunnel in Murang’a county.
The tunnel was scheduled to be launched by the President during this year’s Jamhuri Day, according to water PS Joseph Wairagu.
Athi Water Services Board CEO Mwangi Thuita on Wednesday said the project is now 72 per cent complete but is experiencing numerous hitches.
One is a compensation suit filed by a landowner through whose farm the tunnel passes.
Nine kilometres of the main 11.8km tunnel has been completed, Thuita said.
He was addressing Central region commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga, who led a delegation of government officials to the project.
Nyagwanga, who is new to the area, was going around familiarising himself with ongoing projects.
Thuita urged the government to have the lawsuits against the National Land Commission hastened to enable construction to continue at Kigoro water treatment plant.
The High Court suspended construction at the treatment plant for five months, pending determination of the farmer's suit.
The Sh4.5 billion water treatment plant in Gatanga is 98 per cent complete. It is meant to help treat the extra water channelled into Ndakaini Dam by the tunnel.
The tunnel will channel 140,000 cubic metres of water every day into the dam to boost the supply of water in Nairobi county.
The tunnel, funded by the World Bank, will draw water from rivers Irati, Maragua and Gikigie.
Thuita said loose soils along the tunnel's path have slowed construction to two feet per day down from one metre.
The loose soils, he said, cause the tunnel to cave in, forcing workers to build concrete walls for reinforcement.
Nyagwanga said it is unfortunate that even Makomboki water project, which was initiated to supply Kigumo residents with water, will also delay after a resident filed a lawsuit over land.
He called for speedy resolution of the cases so projects are completed in time.
“Water projects worth Sh4.2 billion are being constructed in Murang’a county as compensation for the water drawn from local rivers through the tunnel,” Nyagwanga said.
Kigumo MP Ruth Mwaniki asked the Athi Water Services Board to ensure residents receive piped water.
She urged the board to support reforestation programmes in the Aberdare Forest, which supplies water to most local rivers.