Ndiritu Muriithi promises water project if he's re-elected governor

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has urged residents to re-elect him so he can complete the projects he initiated, including implementing the county water master plan.

The plan, unveiled last year, is aimed at addressing the county’s water requirements for the next 20 years with a view to ensuring all citizens have access to safe and clean drinking water.

As part of the plan, the governor said his administration is targeting to desilt 231 dams, invest in five mega-dams, and drill 113 boreholes in the next five years.

“Through this, we also hope to irrigate 50,000 acres of land to enhance our food security,” said the governor adding; “At the end of the project, we are hoping that 40,000 more households will have access to water.

Muriithi, who spoke at a Nyahururu hotel on Monday where he met elders from Laikipia West, said the county’s equipment, under the county’s equipment leasing programme, will also be involved in excavating and desilting of dams and water pans.

Master plan

The mega-dams targeted under the master plan are Nanyuki (Kahurura) Bulk water project, Pesi Dam, Rumuruti Dam, Amaya Dam, and Crocodile Jaw Dam.

The county government has advertised tenders for the construction of Ilpolei dam and desilting Wangwachi dams, projects that have been financed through an infrastructure bond issue.

Citing successes of Solio Community water project, Makurian-Chumvi-Makurian water project, and Kinamba water project, Muriithi said he is confident he will successfully implement the water master plan if given another term.

More than 1,700 out of the targeted 2,000 Solio households have been connected with water while Makurian–Osirua is targeting another 1,700.

Out of the 103,114 households, only 30,562 (30 per cent) have access to piped water.

About 67,300 (65 per cent) others have access to portable water either from piped systems, dams, pans, springs, boreholes, shallow wells, or rivers.

There are 507 small water projects and 10 community irrigation schemes in the southern and western parts of the county, established through the national government with support from development partners, said Muriithi.