Two charged with vandalizing water equipment in Kirinyaga

Two men were Wednesday charged before a Kerugoya law court with vandalizing and stealing 13 manhole covers for the ongoing Kerugoya-Kutus sewerage plant.

Before Kerugoya Chief Magistrate Court Alex Ithuku, the two, Eliud Wanjohi Ndambiri and Zadok Macharia Maguru denied the two counts of stealing and handling stolen goods, a crime they are alleged to have committed on May 30 2023.

The 13 manual holes which are the property of an international Engineering Company, according to the charge sheet, are valued at Sh.78,000 and are alleged to have been stolen within the Kerugoya township.

"On the 30th May 2023 at Kerugoya township, Kirinyaga Central Sub-County you jointly stole 13 manual covers valued at approximately Sh78,000.

"Otherwise than in the course of stealing, dishonesty retained manual hole cover knowing or having a reason to believe it to be stolen good," read the charge sheet.

The accused were each released on a bond of Sh.100,000 pending the mention of their case scheduled for April 13, 2023.

The water police unit in the County condemned increased incidences of vandalizing water equipment thus called on the public to be alert and report any water equipment theft cases to the relevant authorities.

Led by Kirinyaga County Administration Police commander Sidina Faraji, the officers regretted that continual destruction of equipment risks dealing a heavy blow on the Sh.500 million projects set to benefit locals from across the County.

"The government has invested a lot of funds into this project and it would be unfortunate if irresponsible people are tolerated to continue spelling doom on the project through theft.

"We want to give a stern warning to those plotting to destroy government's projects that their days are numbered and the law will eventually catch up with them," she cautioned.

Her sentiments were echoed by Inspector Gladys Wacuka who noted that vandalizing such water projects occasion delays in the completion of the project thus resulting in long-term water shortage.

She thus called for individual responsibility and concerted effort between the authorities and the public, particularly those residing near sites where the water equipment have been lodged.

In equal measures, she decried that theft of such critical items results in exposed manholes which pose safety concerns and health-related dangers to the public and more so children.

Wacuka further regretted over the high cases of water connection non-compliance saying such illegal actions risk revenue loss to the government of up to Sh.10 billion shillings per year.

"Theft of water metres, water valves, gauges, pipes, diversion of water, the illegal connection is also on the rise. As a water police unit, we pledge to intensify the crackdown on the ground in a bid to ensure that such actions of noncompliance are not taking place."

Lenny Kirimi, the resident engineer for the project decried that the increasing theft of water equipment in the two ongoing mega water projects in the county, which are the sewer plant and bulk water projects respectively, have severely affected the projects thus led the contractors counting a loss of up to Sh.10 million shillings.

He in that regard called upon the residents to be vigilant and selfishly guard the equipment as they are the biggest beneficiaries of the project.