• Kambi, a former MP for Kaloleni on Tuesday said the area has water infrastructure that is not being put to use.
• Katana said despite water being a devolved function, they cannot sit and watch people suffer.
Image: ELIAS YAA
Kaloleni MP Paul Katana has teamed up with NLC commissioner Kazungu Kambi to push for a lasting solution to the water problem in the constituency.
Kambi, a former MP for Kaloleni, on Tuesday said the area has water infrastructure that is not being put to use.
Speaking to the Star after the newspaper highlighted the plight of the residents, Kambi accused the county government of Kilifi of not maintaining the water infrastructure.
“When I was the MP there were no such issues. Right now several pipelines have no water. There is a big reservoir at Mwijo which is supposed to supply water across the constituency but it is not being utilised,” said Kambi.
He called on the Kilifi government to connect water from the newly constructed Bamba main pipeline to the reservoir at Mwijo.
“I have talked to the managing director Coast Waterworks Agencies and Kilifi-Mariakani Water and Sewerage Company boss and they have already activated their teams to arrest the situation. I have also talked to the PS over the same problem,” he said.
Katana said they cannot sit and watch people suffer water shortage.
“The report is correct and I call on well-wishers to come down and help to address this challenge. Water is not my mandate but I must make sure my people are not suffering. There was a problem with the pump station at Mwavumbo but I have been assured that a new pump has been installed and soon the pipeline serving Kaloleni from the Mzima springs main pipeline will have water,” he said.
He also called on organisations to sink boreholes and desilt water pans in the area.
Kilifi Water executive Kiringi Mwachitu said a contractor was on site at the Mwavumbo pump station.
He said there is adequate infrastructure to supply water to most villages in Kaloleni.
“We were doing an upgrade at the Mwavumbo station that’s why the pipelines had no water. We expect pumping to start this week after the completion of the installation of the new pumps. This will address water shortage in Kaya Fungo and Ruruma wards,” he said.
In Mwanamwinga ward, the county is upgrading the Palakumi-Mwanamwinga pipeline.
“The line is small. We want to put a bigger pipeline. We advertised the tender and got a contractor but he was not able to do the job. We are in the process of re-advertising the tender,” said Mwachitu
The executive said two new pumps will be installed at the Palakumi pumping unit and one pump at Kwa Demu pumping station.
“The pump at Palakumi is a diesel pump. We want to connect the station to electricity so that we can install an electric pump,” added Mwachitu.
On water pans, Mwachitu said the department constructs water pans for both human and livestock use.
“Our water pans will always have a water fetching point and a watering trough for livestock. When the agriculture department does their water pans their target is livestock hence they will not put fetching points,” he added.
On Friday, residents expressed fears that they could contract water-borne diseases as they share water sources with animals.
-Edited by SKanyara