Northern Collector Tunnel stalls over Sh3.5 billion

The Northern Collector Tunnel in Murang’a that is meant to boost water supply to Nairobi has stalled.

The project was started in 2015 and is 95 per cent done. It was expected to be ready by April this year but suffered financial strains. Additional Sh3.5 billion is needed.

In February, Cabinet Secretaries Amina Mohamed (Sports), Joe Mucheru (ICT), Simon Chelugui (Labour) and Cecily Kairuki (Water) inspected the tunnel and announced that it would be launched before mid-year. The project was 91 per cent done by then.

The project has three main components: the tunnel that cost about Sh8.5 billion; the water treatment plant that was constructed at Sh4.5 billion; and the pipelines costing about Sh7.5 billion. Land compensation cost Sh8 billion, raising the total to about Sh30 billion.

But on Monday, Nairobi Metropolitan Services director general  Mohamed Badi said the government owes contractors over Sh2.4 billion while land compensation requires over Sh1 billion.

“Piping from Kigoro treatment plant in Gatanga to Gigiri reservoir has delayed because of land compensation but once the National Lands Commission compensates land owners, the contractor is ready to complete it within the shortest time,” he said.

The project is expected to end perennial water shortage in Nairobi county and its environs. It will channel over 140 million litres water into Ndaka-ini dam every day from rivers Gikigie, Irati and Maragua.

Badi said more than 40 per cent of Nairobi residents do not have access to clean water, saying the county requires over 800 million litres every day but is only able to supply 550 million litres.

He said the NMS is making strides towards managing cartels that sell water to disadvantaged people in the city. It has dug 193 boreholes that provide free safe water to residents especially in informal settlements.

“This is where a lot of water was being sold because there is no piping within the slums and some of the disadvantaged areas,” he said.

“Areas where water was being diverted for stealing have also been managed. We believe as we improve the services of water delivery, the cartels system will die off because it will have no market for its water,” he added.

The NMS is also in the process of creating an app for the data of water sellers and bowsers. Once it is done, no trader will be able to sell without using the app.

Athi Water Works Development Agency CEO Michael Thuita said only 17km of the 55km long pipeline from Kigoro treatment plant to Gigiri is done.

“Once land is available, the contractor will be able to deliver the pipeline within six months,” he said.

Kigoro water treatment plant was completed in October 2018, but the contractor could not hand over the project as he was to be reimbursed Sh724 million Value Added Tax.

The contractor, Thuita added, has not been able to test and commission the treatment plant and to maintain him on the site he charges the government Sh160 million annually. The amount has now accumulated to Sh320 million.

“This is why we are appealing that the Sh724 million be made available so that he can test and commission the treatment plant,” he said.

He however emphasised that the project has not stalled and that the contractor is on site but is incapacitated because of lack of resources and is unable to do final touches because the government has not paid him his dues.

Once the project is complete, Gatanga resident where Ndaka-ini dam is sited will benefit from three million litres of water every day and the contractor is already laying pipes.

Edited by Henry Makori