Residents of six villages in Gilgil Sub County have expressed fears of a possible disease outbreak following an acute water shortage that is being experienced in the area.
Inhabitants of Eburru top, Ex-Lewis, Ex-Major, Morgan, Thome and Songoroi villages claimed that they have gone without water for the last three months and were now forced to travel for long distances in search of the much needed commodity for both domestic and animal use.
Several public schools in the area were also said to have been affected with most learners abandoning learning in search of water.
According to a local leader, Stephen Kamau, the residents were now consuming water from dirty dams together with their animals, exposing themselves to possible disease outbreaks.
Kamau said a previous promise by area MP, Martha Wangari that the villages would be connected with water from Lake Naivasha has never materialized leaving the residents at the mercy of the harsh climatic conditions.
The village leader claimed that more than 20, 000 persons living in the locality have gone without water for months adding that the situation was getting out of hand.
The residents are now appealing to the Nakuru County government to come to their rescue, saying they have three huge tanks at Eburru Trading Centre where water could be pumped from the lake.
The residents through their spokesperson, Simon Gathuru said the villages had been forgotten for long with critical infrastructure, including road networks health centers and markets being neglected.
They claimed that they were relying on the neighbouring Naivasha Sub-county in terms of health services and other key services despite Gilgil being a sub-county by its own.
They called on county government officials to visit the area and get first hand information on the real situation on the ground, with a view to finding a long lasting solution to the many challenges afflicting the people.
By Esther Mwangi/Jescah Okinda
