A water crisis has hit Kilifi town and its surrounding areas for the past four days, forcing residents to resort to use of untreated water from boreholes drilled by the County.
Residents claimed that water from boreholes was unsafe for human use during this Covid-19 pandemic period and urged the County water department to speed up any challenges it may be facing in supplying water.
“Frequent water scarcity has also affected supply of water tanks put by the county in market centres and matatu stages for the public to wash their hands before entering the markets and boarding vehicles. This is a serious crisis at this time”, said Bakari Abdallah who has a stall at Oloitiptip market.
He said the ministry of health protocols demand regular hand washing to fight coronavirus, but the practice has been discarded by the members of the public following the frequent water crisis in the town.
A food kiosk owner in one of the town estates, Zawadi Kitsao said she has been buying clean water from those with private storage tanks at Sh.15 per the 20 litre jerican to serve her customers.
“I have a water metre at my place of work but its tap dries up frequently, even though I receive monthly water bills. This has affected my business to a large extent,” she said.
According to a notice given to water consumers by Kilifi Mombasa Water and Sanitation Company (KIMAWASCO) the water provider in the county, there has been a major breakdown of the main pipeline at Baolala along the Baricho-Mombasa water line.
The notice apologises to its customers that the breakdown was severe but under repairs and that water services would resume immediately after the maintenance works.
By Harrison Yeri
