Dry taps force Kabarnet residents to fetch filthy stream water

Dry water taps are forcing Baringo residents in Kabarnet town to desperately rush to fetch dirty drinking water from the filthy seasonal River Kiberenge.

Water crises are being experienced in Eldama-Ravine, Marigat, Mogotio, Kabartonjo and Chemolingot towns.

For about two weeks, the towns have been hit by a water crisis, forcing  some residents to hire boda bodas and taxi operators to take them to find or buy clean water.

Others trek or push wheelbarrows to fetch the filthy river water and ferry it to their estates.

Kabarnet has about 60,000 residents.

On Sunday, Water official John Kidogo promised to avail water bowsers to supply clean water but so far they have not been seen. 

“We don’t mind whether the water is treated or not, all we care about is this crisis so we have to fetch it for both drinking and domestic use,”  resident Amos Monoi said on Sunday.

Monoi blames the persistent water crisis on the delayed completion of Phase Two, piping and treatment of water, from the Kirandich Dam. It is supposed to supply water to Kabarnet municipality and environs.

It has been stalled for more than 32 years.

The drought has made the situation worse.

“We are wondering why the dam containing volumes of water hasn’t been completed to date since its establishment back in the 1980s,” he said.

He further called upon the authorities to come forward and explain the frequent water shortages in Kabarnet town and why they should regularly pay water bills.

“You can imagine people now going to work without bathing, cooking or availing clean drinking water for their families due to the crisis,” Monoi said.

Worst of all, the residents fear waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery as well as parasites.

The town is the oldest in the county and the location of county headquarters. It has open sewers because it doesn't have a sewage system and garbage dumping site.

The stream has a foul smell, it's dark and discoloured and solid waste is evident.

The construction of taps and rehabilitation works of the river near the county referral hospital were done decades ago by the old Baringo County Council.

Kirdam managing director Philip Chepsat did not answer phone calls or respond to several text messages from the Star, seeking comment and an explanation of the situation. 

Officials in various departments were not picking calls or responding to text messages about how they would remedy the situation and provide clean water. 

County CEC for Health Richard Rotich did not pick three calls or respond to messages but later on Monday said he would liaise with colleagues and get back to the Star. By 5pm he had not done so.

Sources told the Star illegal water connections and legal piping has been done by people claiming to be water company staff. They allege money has been misused.

County water chief officer John Kidogo said the water crisis might continue until January due to recent breakdowns in two pumping generators.

“They are bought being serviced in Nairobi and so the residents might have to bear with the situation until January 2022,” Kidogo said.

During his campaign in 2017, Governor Stanley Kiptis repeated his slogan ‘Maji, Water, Bei’, which was well received, but residents are still suffering.

The then CS for water, Simon Chelugui, now CS for Labour, pledged to complete Kirdam phase two and establish a state-of-the-art sewerage system in Kabarnet town. Nothing has materialised.

“In fact, during my tenure as CS for Water, I have increased the water supply, especially in Baringo," Chelugai said.

The county government last year bought a costly  borehole drilling drilling rig but no one knows where it is.

(Edited by V. Graham)