Raila commissions Sh88m water project in Taita Taveta county

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga Raila on Friday presided over the commissioning of the Nyangoro Maktau Water and Sanitation Development Project in Maktau, Taita Taveta County.

The water supply project funded by the European Union through Water Sector Trust Fund and the county government will benefit over 17,000 residents in the area.

The project will serve residents in Godoma and Maktau locations and bring to an end the long-distance that locals cover in search of the precious commodity.

Raila, who was accompanied by Governor Granton Samboja and his Kisii counterpart James Ongwae among other leaders, underscored the need to ensure a steady supply of clean water in rural areas.

“Water is key for everybody and such project will greatly help the people of this area. We want to applaud the donors who made it possible to implement the water project,” he said.

Addressing cheerful residents at Overseer village in Maktau, the opposition chief challenged local leaders to join hands in solving water scarcity in the region.

The ODM boss used the event to consolidate his support base in the region and popularize his Azimio la Umoja movement, further promising the residents to deal with water challenges if elected to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta in August.

“The people of this county are safe in my hands. If elected, my government will be committed to solving water and land challenges that you are facing,” Raila added.

Further, Raila promised to roll out a health insurance scheme that will ensure that all Kenyans can access treatment from all public hospitals.

“We shall roll out ‘Baba care’ medical scheme that will enable every Kenyan irrespective of their income to access medical services,” he said.

Governor Samboja reiterated that the successful implementation of the multi-million water project was a result of a cordial relationship between his administration and the National Government.

He said residents will no longer go thirsty since the project is able to supply water to all villages in the two locations.

The water project was started by the British Army in 1914 to provide water for the war soldiers during World War II. It was later handed over to the Kenya Railway Corporation to provide steam power for the train engines.

The project however could not be sustained due to inadequate water supply occasioned by drought and has stayed unutilized for decades.