An acute water shortage has hit the tourist town of Malindi and its environs for more than one week.
Consequently, residents have threatened to hold a peaceful demonstration that would end up at the offices of the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO) to present a memorandum of dissatisfaction with the company’s services.
“We are tired of the frequent water shortages in this town and we want Governor Amason Kingi to personally intervene to solve this problem,” an agitated Martin Kisya, a resident, told reporters.
He claimed that the company’s management had resorted to arrogance whenever residents complained about water shortages and asked the governor to replace the manager with a more competent one.
A Kenya News Agency survey indicated that most estates and informal settlements, among them Maweni and Kisumu Ndogo, did not have the commodity. Others had had the problem for about one month.
Efforts to get a comment from MAWASCO Managing Director Jerald Mwambire did not bear fruit as he was said to be out of his office when reporters visited.
However, the Kilifi County Executive Committee Member for Water Mr. Mwachitu Karisa Kiringi told the Kenya News Agency that the problem had been occasioned by a pipe burst between Jilore and Langobaya.
“There is a burst on the main pipe between Kakuyuni and Langobaya that has led to the problem, but we are working round the clock to repair it so that normal water supply can resume,” he said.
Residents have complained that the water company has been rationing water for more than six months and demanded to be told what was happening.
“They are now saying that there is a burst on the main pipe from Baricho, but we have experienced water rationing for more than six months even before this happened. We demand to be told what the actual problem is,” they said.
By Tomas Mbaya and Emmanuel Masha
