The Kenya Defence Forces, in partnership with the Lions Club of Nyandarua Central, have drilled and equipped a borehole to benefit 600 households in Karima village and Kaimbaga health centre.
Kaimbaga health centre serves at least 150 patients per day. The borehole can produce 12,000 litres per hour.
The project was initiated following a request by the Lions Club of Nyandarua Central.
During the commissioning of the project on Tuesday afternoon, KDF Chief of Infrastructure Brigadier Dennis Kamuri urged residents to use the water to grow vegetables. He assured them of a ready market at the KDF processing plant in Gilgil.
“May be in the past you missed out because you did not have water. Plant vegetables and I assure you that we shall buy from you,” he said.
Kamuri further urged Kaimbaga health centre management and residents to be good stewards of the project.
“Always make request for any assistance needed, and we shall consider. We listen, it's only that people are not familiar with how KDF works, but we also support development of our country,” he said.
Kamuri was accompanied by Col Zipporah Kioko, project manager Maj (Rtd) Peter Njenga and other KDF personnel.
Lions Club of Nyandarua Central president Peter Karanja said Kaimbaga health centre has over the years been relying on water from local dams. The dams occasionally dry up and residents are forced to trek all the way to Malewa River to fetch water for domestic use.
Kaimbaga health centre chairman James Kariuki urged the Nyandarua county government to complete stalled projects, especially the maternity wing, whose construction was launched in 2005.
“They normally cite water as a challenge but now there is enough,” he said.
Edited by A.N
