The installation of a new water project in Nkararo area, Trans Mara west Sub County is a big relief to the residents who had to trek for tens of kilometers to search for the basic commodity.
The water installed by a non-governmental organisation dubbed ‘water to school’ has not only benefited the nearby schools but also helped over 4, 000 members of the cosmopolitan area.
Agnes Kerubo, a resident of Nkararo confessed that they used to wake up early in the morning to trek for several kilometers to get clean water.
“I can now concentrate on other activities that will earn me an income instead of wasting many hours searching for water,” she said.
She said the piping of water near their homes will boost the health standards of the residents, especially the school going children who were forced to drink dirty water.
“We therefore expect the standards of education to go higher as the learners will not waste time looking for clean water for drinking and doing cleaning around their school,” added Ms Kerubo.
Esther Moraa, another resident said during days when there is conflict in the area, they are forced to stick in their homesteads and drink dirty water from their animal’s trough.
However, the new water system is expected to boost the standards of livelihood in the area that has in the past witnessed on and off skirmishes.
Nkararo Secondary School students were also happy lot as they will not waste time looking for water as the pipes were directly channeled to their school.
The school Head Boy Josphat Naoni said the learners would spend a lot of time walking to the rivers to search for the basic commodity, but the situation has been completely changed by the new water system.
He noted that they can now concentrate in their class work and consequently perform better after the installation of the new water project.
The teacher in charge of water and sanitation in Nkararo Secondary School Antony Sankale admitted that the learners would waste a lot of time looking for water at the expense of their studies.
The water was a big relief after the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic as the learners would comfortably clean their hands as advised by the Department of Health to curb the spread of the disease.
The Water to School Representative Alex Karmusho, said the main aim of channeling water to the area was to help curb clashes that have been witnessed in the place for years.
Karmusho observed that the warring communities will not meet again in the common water point where they used to meet and exchange bitter words that would later lead to war.
“One of the reasons why we easily got sponsors to build this project is because of the cosmopolitan nature of this land where about five communities live. The two Maasai clans living here have also been engaging in war that had made the area remain undeveloped,” said Karmusho.
Nkararo Water Project Manager Reuben Mulolo said the members of the community will be paying Sh 5 for a 20 liters jerican of water when fetching water at the water kiosk.
The money, he said, will be used for the maintenance of the project so that it can serve the residents for many years.
Nkararo area hit headlines two years ago when the two Maa clans that is Siria and Uasin Gishu, that live in the area engaged in war that forced the Regional Commissioner George Natembeya to impose a 4pm to 7 am curfew in the area.
This is after dozens of people were killed, several left nursing injuries and houses torched in a war that had prolonged for many years.
After several investigations were conducted in the area, it was concluded that lack of legal land documents and the overlying of land boundaries was the real cause of war.
In April this year, the government issued 1273 title deeds in the area that were expected to halt the conflicts on land boundaries in the area.
Recently, a football match between the Siria and Uasin Gishu clans was held and witnessed by the top Narok county security team led by Commissioner Evans Achoki.
By Ann Salaton
