The national government’s Kimugu Water Project has significantly improved water access for Kericho residents who previously faced persistent shortages, despite the county’s abundant rainfall throughout the year and numerous rivers flowing from the adjacent Mau Forest.
According to Kericho town residents who spoke to Kenya News Agency, the clean water supply managed by the Kericho Water Services Company (KEWASCO) has resulted in a year of uninterrupted service, tremendously enhancing their quality of life.
Beatrice Chepkirui, a mother of two who resides at Eland Estate, which is a stone’s throw away from Kericho town, said frequent water shortages have drastically reduced in the last year since the Kimugu Water Project was launched by President Dr. William Ruto.
Kericho County Commissioner Mr. Gilbert Kitiyo, in an exclusive interview with KNA, said the national government’s Kimugu water project supplies a total of over 13 million litres of clean water to over 200,000 households in Kericho County.
The County Commissioner disclosed that the ultra-modern Kericho water supply project in the Ainamoi Constituency cost a total of Sh1.2 billion on implementation.
Kitiyo said the waterworks project has been supplying water to residents of Kericho town, Ainamoi, Kipkelion East, and parts of Belgut Sub-Counties.
“It has increased revenue to the County Government through KEWASCO; now KEWASCO is working on the Kericho and Litein water and sewerage projects, which cost Sh2.3 billion and are being funded by the German government. The development has sewage expansion and last-mile connectivity, which supplies water in Kericho and Bureti areas,” added Mr. Kitiyo.
The New Kimugu Treatment Works Technical Inspector of Production, Mr. Collins Koech, further stated the intake of water is in the River Kimugu, in which the raw water line is 7.7 kilometres long to the Kimugu Treatment Works, where three types of chemicals are used to treat the water before distribution.
“We use Aluminium Sulphate, Soda ash, and Chlorine for treatment, and then the water is released by gravity to the tanks at the Tea Hotel,” explained Koech.
The Technical Inspector of Production further said that after the main works were completed, additional works with four components were undertaken, which cost Sh98 million.
“The first component is the administration building of KEWASCO; the second is the Meter Test Bench, where they test and check customers’ meters; the third component is equipping the laboratory, of which some equipment has been brought by the contactor awaiting installation by the suppliers, training, and handing it over to KEWASCO.”
“The fourth component is the last mile connectivity, which consists of five lines. One serves Cheronget Kapsoit – Sosiot areas, the second is Machorwan, the third serves Borborwet, the fourth serves Ainapkoi at Seretut ward, and the last line serves Seretut to Seretet centre,” Koech highlighted.
The national government remains committed to upscaling investment in sustainable water-related infrastructure to ensure all Kenyans access sufficient safe drinking water.
By Kibe Mburu
