Meru County government has set aside Sh200million in the current financial year that will be used to address water issues in the region.
Speaking at Kaguru farmers’ centre Monday, while launching issuance of 8000 water tanks worth Sh30million, Governor Kiraitu Murungi said his government was targeting to address at least 90 per cent of the county’s remaining water problems in the next one year.
“We are here today to fulfil the promise we made to the people of Meru. The tanks we are issuing have the capacity to hold 2.4million litres of water and this will benefit our people in a great way,” said Kiraitu.
He added: “We have also set aside more funds for water compared to other departments and nationally we are the only county that has done this.”
The governor said the initiative was geared towards the achievement of maximum impact from the interventions that have been set aside to address water shortage in the county.
The sinking of boreholes in semi-arid areas of Tigania, Buuri and Igembe, and laying of pipes to enhance distribution of water to homesteads in areas near rivers are some of the interventions being carried out by the county water department.
Kiraitu assured the residents that the relevant department has laid out proper programmes that will ensure everybody will get water depending on their location.
“We have so far dug 195 boreholes and we are targeting to surpass 200 by December to ensure more water for consumption and irrigation by our people,” said Kiraitu, adding that they will also embark on rehabilitation of 26 boreholes that were dug by the previous regime to give residents value for their money.
Kiraitu added that his government has also set aside Sh60million to finish and repair water intakes that were destroyed by floods during the last rainy season.
The county executive for Water and Irrigation Dr. Eunice Kobia said the department will ensure each ward in the local semi-arid areas will have at least five functional boreholes by 2022.
“We are living up to the dream of making our county great in terms of water distribution. In the last four years, Sh1.2billion has been used to avail water to the people and 1600 water project groups have benefitted with pipes to distribute water close to their homes,” said Dr. Kobia.
By Dickson Mwiti
