Over 5,000 residents from Rongai Sub-county are poised to benefit from enough drinking water following the rehabilitation of the Mahinga Water Project.
Water and Environment Executive Member Dr Nelson Maara who oversaw the installation of a solar water pump today revealed that the game-changer project had been dormant for more than a decade.
Once in operation, the project will serve Emarangishu, Arus, Kali, Chemasis, Tuyotich, and Mahinga farms among other areas within the larger Rongai sub-county, and provide access to safe and clean water.
Maara noted that the county was committed to expanding the scope of water coverage, enhancing the sustainability of projects, and understanding the role of every stakeholder in water, environment, sanitation, and climate change plays.
At the same time, he revealed that the county has implemented several policies and strategies for integrated water management and conservation to address the challenges of water scarcity, pollution, and insufficient use of water resources.
Also, he said the Nakuru county government has prioritised the development and improvement of water infrastructure throughout the county to increase accessibility to clean water for households.
However, he admitted that due to increased population and climate change, the county faces a huge demand for the commodity with the current supply being insufficient by a whopping 50 % as the region is classified as water-scarce.
Rongai Women leader, Mrs Agnes Rono commended the county officials for finally fulfilling a decade-long project and said the easy access to water would change their lives, and allow them to invest the time they have been spending to fetch water for other economic projects.
Apart from that, she said water scarcity affects women more than anyone since the entire responsibility of household chores was left to them, and it was almost impossible to manage a homestead without the essential commodity.
By Veronica Bosibori
