Dagane urges Garissa residents to be patient as county tackles water problem

Garissa county is committed to tackling perennial water shortage that has affected residents for five years, Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane has said.

He said it is a big challenge for residents, especially those in remote villages, who have to trek long distances in search of water.

Prior to the August election, Garissa town taps were dry for six months, and residents had to buy the commodity from vendors at an exorbitant fee.

The situation has, however, been rectified.

Speaking on Monday during a fact-finding mission on two major water projects in Garissa town, the deputy governor said provision of clean water to all residents remains a top priority for the new administration.

Dagane was accompanied by Garissa Water and Sewerage Company MD Mohamed Dolal and deputy technical manager Omar Abdi.

He urged residents to be patient as the county seeks a lasting solution to the problem.

“Some of the key plans we have put in place include ensuring water  supply problems in Garissa Township are brought to an end.  This will be achieved through the use of multiple intervention strategies such as establishing additional water intake points along the river,” he said. 

He said this will ease pressure on the existing water intake  infrastructure and enable pumping and supply of water to the new,  periphery settlements in the town.

“We will also undertake new extensive piping in Garissa town to ensure  water is supplied properly to as many households as possible, as well as provide sufficient financial support to Gawasco to undertake holistic refurbishing of the equipment currently in use,” Dagane said.

He said the Maramtu water project, which is 65 per cent complete, will supply water to various areas including Bula Tawakal, Bula Rahma and upper Bula Mzuri and its environs.

The deputy governor asked for an assessment report on the status of stalled water projects to be submitted to his office. He promised to consolidate all reports and come up with an immediate response plan to increase water supply in hard-to-reach areas in the town.

In his inaugural speech to the county assembly last week, Governor Nathif Jama outlined a number of interventions his administration will pursue to provide water to the people of Garissa.

He said his administration plans to construct modern mega dams in Modogashe and Holugho towns to conserve rainwater. The water will then be treated and supplied to the towns.

Jama said his government plans to extend water to Ijara town through a pipeline from the Masalani water project. The administration will also complete the stalled water projects of Danyere and Maalimin in Balambala and Modogashe subcounties respectively.

The governor further promised to drill boreholes in different parts of the county and rehabilitate existing ones.

Edited by A.N