The Council of Governors (CoG) and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation have come up with a solid agreement that will ensure that even the Murang’a residents also get a chance to enjoy the water from Ndakaini dam which is largely consumed by the people living in Nairobi County.
Following a meeting that was led by Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi who also chairs the CoG water commitee agreed that a strategy would be developed to ensure counties where dams are located benefit from the resources.
In his statement he said, “The Ministry of Water and Sanitation will develop a benefit-sharing mechanism to ensure residents of Murang’a County benefit from water resources in their own backyard. I’m happy that we were able to resolve these outstanding water disputes.”
In addition the Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said ,“I express my sympathy to Murang’a people and the country owes it an apology. When a man cries for water he should not be mistaken with a mad man and there is no way they [can] be sitting on such a critical asset, Ndakaini Dam, and they are starving for water.”
According to Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o, “These creatures called water services boards should be gotten rid of; they do what is expected of county governments and they give counties a headache.”
The council has ordered the directors of water companies in Murang’a to change their way of handling the Murang’s water and give ownership to the county government in order to resolve the ongoing water rivary.
“Murang’a County is the rightful owner of Muwasco (Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company) and four other water utilities in the county hence the transfer of the water utilities from private individuals to the county government should be urgently implemented without further delay,” the council said.
The deliberations by the governors’ council and the Water ministry may bring to an end the animosity between Murang’a and Nairobi counties as well as the five water companies. The dispute has found its way to the courts.
Embattled Muwasco chairman Peter Munga has gone to court thrice in bid to retain his position at the water firm.