Mega dam expected to reduce water rationing in Thika town

Water rationing in Thika town will be a thing of the past following a proposal to have the town included in the Karimenu 11 dam water supply plan.
Thika MP Patrick Wainaina said talks with the Water Ministry and Athi Water Services who are constructing the dam to consider the town as a beneficiary are at an advanced stage.
“Some of the dam water will be channeled to a treatment plant that we intend to construct near Mary Hill Girls. From there we shall lay pipes to distribute the water to other parts of Thika town,” he said.
The town requires another 15,000 cubic metres to complement the 70,000 cubic metres that it has to fully provide all estates with water.
The MP said they had been left out of the initial supply design of the Sh24billion dam.
“During the dam’s design stage, Thika town was overlooked despite it being an industrial town, and the biggest in Kiambu County. Also, its population has increased over the years owing to the Thika Superhighway and the many learning institution,” said Wainaina.
The town depends on a 50 years old water supply design when the town was small and only reached up to Makongeni estate. It has since extended Ngoliba, Gatuanyaga and landless.
“Since 30 years ago, there has never been a major upgrade on the town’s water supply plan. That is why there is water rationing each week,” he said.
Residents supported the move, saying it would ease water shortages and reduce expenses they incur to source water from vendors.
“We hope the plan goes through to reduce the agony we go through to get water in our taps especially residents of Landless, Makongeni and Kiganjo. Sometimes we rely on river water which is polluted,” said Peter Mungai, a Makongeni resident.
The construction of the dam has already started and will be complete by 2022, according to water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui.
It is expected to supply water to Gatundu, Ruiru and Juja constituencies and Nairobi town.
By Muoki Charles