Nyeri town receives Sh45 million for sewerage expansion

Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Sanitation officials and leaders inspect sewage treatment works in Nyeri, which are set to be expanded.

Nyeri Water and Sanitation Company (NYEWASCO) has received Sh45million from the national government for the expansion of the sewerage system within Nyeri town.

The PS for Water, Irrigation and Sanitation Joseph Irungu said the national government through the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) has done a Sh262 million sewerage line.

“It is basically complete and in recognition of that, we have come with a cheque of Sh45 million through the Water Sector Trust Fund so that we can support Nyewasco in its operations,” the PS said.

Noting that Nyewasco is the best performing Water Company in the country, the PS said it is on this basis, of good management, that the company is able to attract loans on its own because it can be able to justify.

He said due to the growing population of Nyeri town, the current dam serving the town is not enough and, therefore, the government has plans to expand Muhoya dam in the next financial year.

The dam’s expansion design is being done, the PS said. The dam is in Aberdare and its expansion will see it store more water to cater for the growing population.

The minister also toured the Sh265 million Riamukurwe Irrigation project which is expected to spend Sh91 million in its third and last phase.

“We are inspecting the completion of this project because it is not ready for commissioning though it is almost 100 per cent complete,” said the PS.

Nyeri town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu said Nyeri Town Constituency is lobbying for another seven projects.

The constituency needs Sh842 million to complete its irrigation projects. This, Wambugu said, will ensure that every home in the constituency that wants to do commercial farming is catered for.

The MP said the Riamukurwe water project will serve 750 homes and will affect 5000 people directly when completed.

“For us what we are looking for is value addition that irrigation brings. It is not just about the farmer. We have a lot of young people who can be able to buy the produce from the farmers and sell them in our markets,” he said.

The irrigation projects, Wambugu said, will greatly help in improving food security among area residents as well as create jobs.

In Mathira, the PS said the government will be doing a Sh1.2 billion dam that will help tap water for domestic and irrigation purposes from Mt. Kenya forest.

“The contractor is on site and the progress is about five per cent and that will be a project that we will be coming shortly to inspect,” he said.

He said Nyeri is on the government’s focus on matters water adding that though the county has water coverage of above 72 per cent, the high coverage does not mean that the county is well endowed saying some parts of Kieni are water scarce.

“Our focus for the next financial year is going to be in Kieni Constiuency on water for domestic and for Irrigation,” he said.

The government will look at the mega dams in Kieni starting with the two which are Narumoru and Karemenu dams so as to sort-out the water challenges in the area.

In Othaya, Irungu inspected the ongoing Sh60 million sewerage expansion project by the government through the support of African Development Bank.

The pipeline will be laid from the town and cover eight kilometers to the sewerage treatment site and the project which is in its third phase will be completed by July.

The entire Othaya sewerage project which is funded by African Development Bank will have cost over Sh300 million upon completion.

Earlier, the bank had pumped in Sh250 million into the project. The PS said the government is also keen on desilting Chinga dam so that it can hold more water.

The dam earlier stood on 153 acres but has now accumulated silt with water now remaining in only 50 acres.

PS Irungu also announced that money has been set aside for the completion of Changachicha Irrigation project adding that first phases will be done this financial year while the subsequent phases will be completed in the coming years.

The irrigation project, he said, requires Sh200 million to completion while Rukira Irrigation project requires Sh65 million.