•The vast Sagana river has been reduced to a stream and pools of muddy water.
• Residents have been urged to harvest water during the long rains for irrigation during dry spells.
Image: ALICE WAITHERA:
As farmers wait for the long rains, most rivers in Murang’a county have dried up.
The Sagana River, which is known for bursting its banks and causing numerous disasters during rainy seasons, is now a shallow stream and muddy pools of water.
The majestic river that forces residents of lower Kambirwa in Kiharu constituency to use canoes to cross to Kirinyaga for Makutano market has been diminished by the long drought.
Residents who fetched water from rivers have been compelled to walk for longer distances in search of water.
Esther Kamau, a farmer in Kangema said should the rains continue to delay, many people will face hunger.
They are expected this weekend or next week.
Kamau said her area does not have water for irrigation and residents have been unable to produce any food during the drought.
“You cannot find crops such as kale and cabbages in our farms. They have all withered. Some of us are now consuming ugali with water,” she said.
In Murang’a town, residents have been subjected to water rationing after water levels in the Irati river fell too low for the supply of water.
Locals have reported having a low-pressured water supply while others go without it on some days.
Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company managing director Daniel Ng’ang’a has said the company’s supply has declined by 30 per cent.
Previously, the firm produced 15,000 cubic metres of water in a day but now only 10,500 cubic metres.
Image: ALICE WAITHERA:
“Our main source of water is Irati river in Kigumo, which has been lowered by the prolonged dry spell,” he said.
Though some residents are lucky enough to get a consistent supply, about 50 per cent its customers are experiencing rationing, he confirmed.
Former Water PS Wairagu wa Maai, who resigned last month to vie for the Jubilee governor, said the government sank more than 100 boreholes in the county during his tenure to shield locals from water shortage.
The government is constructing Maragua dam that will ensure thousands of homes are connected with both domestic and irrigation water.
“The government could not conserve water in all areas as it would require construction of dams,” he said. He regretted rains wreak havoc as run-off destroys farms but not many are able to take advantage and harvest the water for future farming use.
For a county that relies on agriculture, Wairagu said Murang’a’s challenge is to have the capacity to store water by using water pans and weirs.
Peter Kimani, a resident of Kahuro area, said such a move would be beneficial to farmers as it would allow them to make use of their farms even during drying seasons.
The metereological department has predicted the long rains that normally start mid-March will come in the fourth week of the month.
The county meteorological director Paul Murage has urged farmers to prepare their farms for planting and cautioned those in hilly areas to prepare for destruction that might be caused by the rains.
The county is among those that experience landslides especially in the hilly areas bordering the Aberdare forest.
(Edited by V. Graham)