Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Julius Korir addresses residents during a public participation forum on plans to rehabilitate the ageing Nolturesh Water Pipeline serving Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Residents of Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties could soon receive reliable water after the government announced plans to rehabilitate the ageing Nolturesh Water Pipeline.

The Ministry of Water and Sanitation said the rehabilitation will restore the pipeline's capacity to supply up to 23 million litres of water daily after years of operating below capacity because of ageing infrastructure and illegal water diversions.

Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Julius Korir led a fact-finding mission and public participation forum with officials from the Tana Athi Water Works Development Agency (TWWDA) to assess the crisis and agree on immediate and long-term solutions.

“Every resident deserves access to clean and reliable water. Our immediate priority is to restore equity in distribution while we implement long-term infrastructure upgrades that will guarantee sustainable supply. We will factor to have untreated water supplied for farming to avert illegal connections of clean water utilisation in irrigation. We will increase water allocation for domestic use, livestock and wildlife watering points to ease pressure on communities and help reduce human-wildlife conflict,” said Korir.

Korir said the government will introduce a structured water rationing programme to ensure fair distribution among Kajiado, Machakos, Makueni and the growing Konza Technopolis while rehabilitation works continue.

The ministry also plans to protect the pipeline from vandalism and illegal connections to restore its full capacity.

“Demand for water has continued to rise because of rapid population growth and expanding towns. Upgrading this pipeline is critical if we are to meet current and future water needs. We will prioritise putting up community water access points to curb thirsty locals' interference with the pipeline,” explained TWWDA Chief Executive Officer Sammy Naporos.

TWWDA Chairperson Regina Ndambuki said the government will continue investing in water infrastructure to improve access to clean water.

“Access to safe and reliable water remains a national priority. These investments will improve livelihoods, support economic growth and move us closer to achieving universal access to clean water,” noted Ndambuki.

Residents urged the government to complete the repairs quickly, saying reliable water would reduce dependence on costly water vendors and improve public health.

“We are hopeful that the repair works will be completed soon to quench our thirst. The water from the Kilimanjaro springs is plenty but its supply has faced numerous challenges, leaving us thirsty,” observed Imbirikani resident Suyianka Kosei.

The Nolturesh Water Pipeline serves communities in Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties but has struggled to meet rising demand because of ageing infrastructure, illegal water diversions and population growth.

Govt begins Nolturesh pipeline overhaul to ease water shortages