Water supply has finally been restored on Lamu Island after a seven-day shortage that caused massive suffering to homes and businesses.
Power lines servicing Lamu’s main pumping station in Lamu town were cut off following a dispute between the Kenya Power and Lighting Company and the Lamu Water and Sewerage Company Limited (Lawasco) over a Sh3.6 million unpaid electricity bill.
Many residents had to buy water from the shop to sustain their lives. Hoteliers complained that the situation had shooed away tourists.
Residents in the Lamu Old Town, Shella, Manda, Kashmir, Bombay, India and Wiyoni areas had to use untreated water from open wells. Services at the Lamu King Fahad hospital were also affected by the shortage.
Manda Airport was one of the worst-hit areas. But following a fruitful meeting between the county government, the county commissioner’s office and Lawasco, the power lines were restored on Wednesday morning to the relief of residents.
An official who attended the meeting but did not want to be named said a deal was reached on how Lawasco will settle the debt in the coming few days.
Lawasco MD Paul Wainaina apologised to residents for the inconvenience. He said they will clear the bill and avert similar situations in the future.
"The meeting was largely successful, I can say. Water supply has been fully restored. We are now working on a long-term solution to the existing dispute so that this doesn’t happen again," he said.
County KPLC business manager Bernard Kataka said they had restored power supply to the main pumping station after agreeing that the county government and Lawasco clear the bill by September.
"We jointly resolved that Lawasco owes KPLC Sh3.4 million in accrued electricity bills, which are to be paid up by September this year," he said.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
