• Thirsty, fast-growing eucalyptus trees draw a lot of water from rivers, felling them saves resources.
• Murang’a people have been able to conserve the Aberdare forest as compared to Mau Forest in Kericho. Cutting eucalyptus is a big factor.
Water levels are dropping drastically in Kericho but Murang'a county is doing pretty well in conserving the Aberdares Forest.
Kericho is not doing so well saving the Mau Forest, so Kericho Water and Sanitation Company (Kewasco) officials went on a benchmarking trip to Murang'a to learn about water and environmental management.
Kewasco MD Joseph Terer yesterday said the tour was organised to deal with the crisis.
Terer said one treatment plant is receiving 10 litres of water per second, down from 125 litres it receives normally due to the on-going drought.
Murang'a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) said it has not been seriously affected as its rivers have sufficient water.
The two companies have factors in common, Muwasco draws water from rivers flowing from the Aberdares forest, while Kewasco draws water from the Mau ranges.
The big difference is that Murang’a people cut down all eucalyptus trees along river banks following a directive from Environment Minister John Michuki.
In 2009, Michuki ordered all eucalyptus trees cut from all wetlands saying they depleted water sources, causing many rivers to dry up.
“In Kericho, people continue to plant the trees which may have contributed to the low water levels,” he said.
Murang’a people have also been able to conserve the Aberdare forest as compared to Mau forest which is largely depleted, he said.
According to him, Muwasco is widely known for having established a water packaging plant to supplement its budget.
“We are also here to learn how they were able to do that and possibly start our own,” Terer said.
He said plans to construct a new water treatment plant were started in 2011 but are in their final states. A contractor will be on site this week, with construction expected to start in May.
Once the plant is built in March ext year "water issues will all be over," Terer said.
The plant will treat 13 million litres of water per day, supplementing the two million litres the company produces daily.
The company is looking for money to sink a major borehole.
“Kericho is losing 52 per cent of its water while Murang’a has managed to decrease its non-revenue water to 24 per cent,” Kericho Water executive Jeffrey Rutto said.
The government has announced that it is losing Sh7 billion in non-revenue water.
The county government is now trying to encourage people to cut down all eucalyptus trees in the Mau towers and Kuresoi areas.
“We went to Kuresoi a few months ago and found that Kimuku river that had 39 tributaries only has four now, the rest have dried up,” Rutto said.
He said the delegation wants to know how Muwasco manages operations without getting financial support from the county government. Kericho receives about Sh60 million annually.
Muwasco MD Daniel Ng’ang’a said Fort Beverages company that packages water was established with the aim of generating profits that are used to expand water connectivity.
The company covers 92 per cent of its jurisdiction, supplying water to more than 100,000 Murang’a residents.