Residents in Homa bay town and its environs are now worried of an outbreak of a cholera following an acute shortage of water in the area.
The town has gone without the essential commodity for more than three weeks forcing the residents to draw the same from the Lake Victoria.
A survey conducted by KNA in the town Saturday reveals that majority of people within the town dwellers are consuming untreated water from the Lake which could lead to spread of waterborne related diseases.
One of the water vendors at pier beach said that he sells a jerrican of 20 litres at Sh50 to hotels and other customers within the area.
The residents are now complaining of the laxity of county government in addressing the issue of water crisis.
The residents said that most of the hotels in town are now using untreated water to prepare food for their customers, adding that the consumers are at higher risk of contracting water borne diseases.
They further said that they are forced to buy water at higher price as the vendors claimed that they walk for a long distance to get water.
However, some of the water vendors within the town are complaining that they have not been able to continue with their usual business as they cannot access clean water to sell to the customers.
Residents are calling upon the government of Homa bay to look into the issue of water shortage that has been affecting many of the times.
Contacted for comment, a Kenya Power Company employee in the area, who declined his name to be quoted said that they disconnected power from the water intake at Koginga beach due to unpaid electricity bill amounting to over Sh8 million.
However, the Chief Executive Officer in charge of Homa bay water company service Evans Nyagol assured the residents that they will start receiving water immediately.
By Josephine Anyango and Davis Langat
