Water rationing will persist until long rains are experienced in the catchment areas that feed the Ndakaini Dam, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company has said.
NCWSC head of corporate affairs Mbaruku Vyakweli said water levels at the dam have not risen despite the slight rains. The dam supplies more than 80 per cent of Nairobi's water.
Vyakweli blamed drought for the rationing.
“The water level at Ndakaini Dam has not risen. We have not had much rain,” Vyakweli said.
Water level at Ndakaini Dam currently stands at about 60 per cent.
Most city estates have been experiencing water shortage for the last few months mainly due to drought.
Water vendors are already cashing in on the scarcity with a 20-litre bucket selling for between Sh20 and Sh50 across different estates.
With the current rationing, the water in the dam can last up to October, Vyakweli said.
In an interview with Mary Wanjiru, a mother of two, she said how water scarcity has made her life challenging in Nairobi.
“I have been living in Kasarani for five years now but I have never experienced water shortage like the current one," Mary Wanjiru told the Star on Monday.
"I'm a new mother and that means I use three to five jerrycans of water daily. Life is becoming unbearable."
The mother of two said spending Sh1,000 on water per week was a tall order.
"As a single mother who only depends on casual jobs, that is a budget I cannot afford,' she said.
