Nyayo Estate locks out Nairobi water officials after many years of dry taps

Nyayo Estate Embakasi houses in Nairobi. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

For the last five years, Anne Kago is yet to receive enough water for her household. She says it has been hard for her six family members to operate with little water.

“I am forced to buy water from water bowsers on daily basis. Buying a 20 litres jerry can for Sh20 is quite expensive because l need several of them,” she says.

Anne is one of 30,000 residents of Nyayo Estate in Nairobi that have been struggling to survive with little water. Residents accuse the Nairobi Water officer for unending lies of providing enough water. Another resident James Musyoki shares the same frustrations, “There has been empty talks and no action. We have talked, held meetings and even wrote letters but nothing has happened. We now get water from bowsers supplying the estate.”

Teddy Obiero, Chairman of the Nyayo Estate strongly believes the Nairobi Water office is out to do water business with residents of the estate. He laments, due to water shortage, tens of bowsers have now taken over with the supply of water in the estate. “There is no way one will operate without water. What we get is very little and cannot be enough for washing, taking and also use in toilets. We are therefore forced to buy water at a very expensive rate,” he says.

Residents are now relating tens of water bowsers supplying water to the estate, and the water shortage.

“We have a lot of bowsers ferrying water into the estate. There must be a link between water shortage and increased water bowsers in the estate. Because, when you create artificial shortage it creates an opportunity for somebody else,” explains Obiero.