Coast Water Services Board (CWSB) has announced that the Sh50 million water project launched in October 2018 by Deputy President William Ruto in Voi sub-county will be completed and commissioned by next month.
Mbololo-Ndii-Mlilo Water Project, the biggest water project by national government under Equalization Fund in the county, is expected to serve over 10,000 residents in eight villages in the region.
Mr. Bevingtone Mwakideu, an official with CWSB, said the construction works on the project were over 95 per cent completed and the contractor was on the final phases before handing over the project.
Speaking in Mbololo area at the project site during a tour by County Development and Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC) on Wednesday, Mr. Mwakideu said the project would serve several villages that have not had water for decades.
The villages include Mlilo, Kangemi, Mbulia, Ghazi, Ndii and other areas of Mbololo. The project would also serve public institutions including David Kayanda Secondary schools and a nearby health facility.
“This is the biggest project under equalization in this county and it’s almost completed. Waters will flow in homes by end of June,” said the official.
The project comprises of a concrete tank with a capacity of 500m3 and another one with a capacity for 225m3 respectively. There are also three metered kiosks and 10-km pipelines, a surface pump and a powerhouse.
In October last year, Deputy President William Ruto launched the project in a colorful ceremony stating that it would bring to an end acute water shortage plaguing thousands in the targeted area. The water for the project flows through a 10-km pipe using gravity from the main Mzima Pipeline at Manga to the main tank with a carrying capacity of half a million litres.
The water will then be pumped to a secondary tank with a carrying capacity of 225, 000 litres for distribution to watering points and other homesteads.
The project status report says water supply will be increased by half a million liters per day.
The County Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said the government was closely following to ensure the project was operational by end of June.
“We have invested in this project to ensure the residents get sufficient water,” she said.
Mr. Alex Ndawa, a resident of Ghazi, said thousands were eagerly waiting for the project to commence to rid the region decades of water challenges. He added that in dry seasons, the residents travelled long distances which would stop once the project was done.
“We know our problems will be done. Our only worry is whether this project will start soon because we have been suffering,” he said.
By Wagema Mwangi
