Following dwindling water levels at the Sasumwa Dam that supplies water to Nairobi City, the government has called for conservation and protection of the water catchment area to restore the environment.
Ministry of Water and Sanitation Chief Administrative Secretary Chris Wamalwa has said there was a need to conserve the water towers in an effort to redeem forest cover.
Dr Wamalwa rallied Kenyans to embrace tree planting on their farms and public forests saying this will help assure there is enough clean water supply in the country.
He spoke at Sasumwa Dam in Nyandarua County, managed by Nairobi Water and Sanitation Company. He observed that the persistent drought that has hit the country was to blame for the dwindling water levels at the dam.
However, he was optimistic that with the ongoing rains in most parts of the country, the levels would rise and hoped that this would not affect the water supply in Nairobi City County.
He said the government already has an alternative, so there was no cause to worry.
On the management of the Sasumwa Dam, the CAS said the government has initiated a corporate social responsibility component for the local community to ensure they benefit from the water catchment.
He said farmers and neighbors will be getting tree seedlings to plant on the farms.
Other key stakeholders echoed his sentiments, calling for concerted efforts to protect such areas.
They also recommended the fencing of the Sasumwa dam in order to protect against encroachment and illegal grazing in the protected area.
Residents were also discouraged from planting eucalyptus trees on the grounds that their high rate of water demand was contributing to the depletion of water.
By Antony Mwangi
