By Stanley Rumba
With the heavy funding of water infrastructure to mitigate increased urbanization and support industry at the Coast, the national and county governments seem to be headed for a collision as the former seeks to get prompt payment for water consumption to repay accumulated loans.
On May 15 this year, Coast Water Services Board (CWSB) held a crucial board meeting under its new chairman Mr Granton Samboja in which it resolved to recover a total of Sh1.2 billion debt from bulk water distribution to water and sanitation companies across the Coast region so as to sustain its operation and service loans.
The board itself is burdened by a debt of Sh45 million as water bill from the Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA), the government agency that manages water catchment areas in the country.
“We have to recover the debts from the water and sewerage companies which fall under the county governments to sustain our operations and discharge our mandate. Recently when our debt to WRMA stood at Sh75 million, our assets risked being auctioned,” Samboja noted.
Board chief executive officer, Engineer James Thubu says the board has decided to give the water companies a one- month grace period to settle the debts or face a water supply disconnection. The board will deal directly with the water service companies to recover accumulated water bills.
“It is the water companies which owe the board and they are independent entities with mandates and obligations. They cannot hide under the county governments,” Thubu warned.
He however said the board was prepared to engage the water service providers and the governors to resolve the differences.
Governors Hassan Joho of Mombasa, Amason Kingi (Kilifi), John Mruttu (Taita Taveta), Salim Mvurya (Kwale) and Hussein Dado of Tana River issued a statement in Kilifi saying that CWSB had no authority to disconnect the supply to any county because the debts accrued from the defunct councils and municipalities.
They said debts accrued before March 2013 should first be reviewed by the Transition Authority and subjected to a proper forensic audit by relevant bodies to ascertain their authenticity.
“CWSB has no authority to disconnect the supply of water to any county over debts owned by the defunct councils and municipalities. All debts before March 27, 2013 have to be reviewed by the Transition Authority and have to undergo proper forensic audit,” argued the governors in a joint statement.
The board seeks to recover Sh608 million from Mombasa Water and Sanitation Company, Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (Sh141 million), Kilifi-Mariakani Water and Sewerage company (Sh188 million), Kwale Water and Sewerage Company (Sh142 million) and Taita Taveta Water and Sewerage company, which has a debt of Sh121 million.
Lamu water and sewerage and Tana water and sewerage companies are also part of the Coast region water service providers.
Mombasa county executive in charge of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Fatma Awale says counties are suspicious of the huge water bills, as they do not know how they came about.
“Counties in the Coast region are in fact pushing for the establishment of a bulk water supply company to take over the mandate of supply of bulk water to water and sewerage companies. CWSB should concentrate only on developing the water infrastructure,” she says.
Formation of the bulk water supply companies is proposed in the Water Bill. But the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Mombasa branch chairman James Mureu urges the six county governments and the water and sewerage companies to own up and settle the debts to avoid disconnection of water to residents and industry.
“Mombasa already experiences a deficit in water and no one should wait until supply is disconnected. The counties and the water and sewerage companies should promptly pay their debts,” Mureu urges, adding the coastal city has been getting just about a quarter of its clean water needs and grappled with frequent cases of illegal water connections which denies the providers much needed revenues.
Apart from use by residents and in manufacturing, fresh water is supplied to ships calling at the East Africa’s principal port of Mombasa and in the hotel industry.
Speaking in Mombasa county last month during a ground breaking ceremony for Mombasa Lot II water supply component infrastructure development project funded with the support of the World Bank, Environment, Water and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary Ms Judi Wakhungu said the CWSB’s loan repayment has begun and thus needs a comprehensive plan to service it.
“It is my hope that the water fraternity in the coast region is focused, committed and transparent in their mandate in order to enable the board repay its loan obligation promptly and with ease,” she urges.
The CS said that the project would cover 42 kms and is expected to be completed in October next year.
“The Mombasa project shall be funded to the tune of Sh900 million and is set to benefit an approximate population of 300,000 within Mombasa county,” says Prof Wakhungu. Prof Prof Wakhungu said the project will cover Bamburi, Shanzu, Bombolulu, Nyali, Mikindani, Likoni, Jomvu, Chaani, Port Reitz, Magongo and Changamwe.
The CS says the government has successfully secured a new World Bank funding of which Sh5 billion has been committed to further development of water and waste water infrastructural development in the coast region.
“The rapid population growth coupled with accelerated urbanization presents a big challenge to the water sector in meeting both regional and national targets. A growing population and rapid urbanization increases domestic and industrial demand for water,” she explains.
She says the Water ministry is committed to the provision of adequate water to the proposed Lamu port as it is set to attract increased urbanization and population migration to the region.
“My ministry is committed to overseeing the supply of water to Lamu and a technical team is already carrying out the preparatory ground work,” she says.
Mr Samboja said recent rehabilitation and expansion of water infrastructure in Mombasa County has increased water access among residents.
“As a board, we are proud to acclaim that we have increased the production of water from 100,000 cubic meters per day to 145,000 cubic meters per day,” he said.
But the current water supply is seen as a drop in the ocean as demand in the region stands at about 490,000 cubic metres per day. The board seeks to supply an additional 180,000 cubic metres of water into Mombasa County whose population is projected to grow from the current 900,000 to five million by 2030.
The coast bulk water supply comprises of four independent Schemes namely Baricho water supply, the Mzima pipeline, the Marere pipeline and the Tiwi boreholes. These schemes traverse the board area and converge towards Mombasa, the longest being the Mzima pipeline which is 220 km, followed by Baricho (104 km), then Marere (45 km) and the Tiwi boreholes which are about 20 km from Mombasa island.
The infrastructure is old and dilapidated but has stood the test of time. It is amazing that the systems are still delivering water today despite the many challenges in their maintenance. The Marere system was constructed in 1923, the Mzima Pipeline in 1957, while the Baricho and Tiwi schemes were completed in 1980.
