Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna has made an impromptu visit to the Mukuru Kwa Rueben and led in inspection of some of the government’s projects in the area.
Among the works he inspected include Mukuru Kwa Reuben hospital, the daily NMS water distribution programme, roads and sewerage construction and healthcare. NMS on a daily basis distributes one million litres of water using 42 water bowsers across informal settlements in Nairobi in areas where there are no boreholes. This is all to enable a healthy and conducive environment for Kenyans to live in. Mr. Oguna said that the government’s aim is to make sure that Kenyans have adequate supply of clean water, especially in areas that do not have boreholes.
“NMS is supplying water into areas that do not have water or have a hard time accessing water supply. The government’s aim is to ensure that all areas get access to water and not seasonal water but supply on a daily basis,” said the spokesperson.
Long term plans
Nairobi Metropolitan Services embarked on rehabilitating the roads thus opening up access to Mukuru slums, having been marked as Special Planning Area. In March, NMS director general Mohammed Badi said households in Nairobi’s informal settlements will eventually have to pay subsidised rates for piped water connected to their homes from 193 boreholes.
The connections are part of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services post-Covid-19 long-term plan to ensure water supply to slums. Badi said Athi Water Works and the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company will manage the boreholes after the NMS’s term expires in March 2022. The boreholes have been drilled by NMS in partnership with Athi Water Works for Sh1.7 billion.
