Local communities in Baringo County have have threatened to sue the government for failure to put up sewerage systems in Kabarnet and Eldama-Ravine towns. Lawrence Bomet, a member of the Lembus Council of Elders from Eldama Ravine revealed the report and said that rental houses and lodges were flushing out raw sewage into the locality.
“Decomposing food and human waste are being disposed of openly in the towns. There is filth everywhere,” said Mr Bomet.
According to Kabarnet-based civil society crusader Isaiah Biwott, the towns are also marred with broken and blocked water runways and culverts along the backstreets adjacent to business premises and open-air markets. The towns are currently letting out raw sewage into rivers flowing downstream into main water sources like Chemususu and Kirandich dams and Lake Baringo.
Health risks
The situation poses serious health risks such as water-borne diseases like typhoid and cholera to the residents who source their drinking water from the lake and the dams.
“Sewerage system has been discussed in Baringo since the 1980s but it hasn’t been actualised. It is time legal action is taken. It is so unfortunate that the people of Baringo pay taxes like other Kenyans yet they lack such important public facilities like sewers,” said Mr Biwott.
On their part, Baringo county environment chief officer Richard Ruto said they have allocated a 24-acre plot at Kiboino area along the Kabarnet-Iten road to be used as a dumpsite. The facility however hasn’t been put into use to date owing to some unresolved disagreements. The town currently heaps waste illegally on private land near an SDA church in Kaprogonya estate.
“Construction of the Kabarnet sewerage is an Italian project being handled by the national government but in the meantime, we are committed as a county government to do the little we can to ensure a clean environment,” said Ruto.
