Nairobi Water Woes Eased as Northern Collector Tunnel Nears Completion

By Shadrack Nyakoe

The completion of the Northern Water Collector Tunnel marks a major victory for Nairobi residents, who have endured decades of water shortages. On Monday, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that final stages of testing were underway before the new water supply is integrated into the city’s distribution network, promising relief to Nairobi’s growing demand, which currently stands at 900 million liters per day, while supply is only around 525 million liters.

The additional 140 million liters from the tunnel, a project dating back to 2016, is expected to significantly reduce the city’s water deficit. Initially launched under President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) with World Bank funding, the tunnel faced political opposition, particularly from ODM leader Raila Odinga, who argued it could lead to environmental degradation across five counties.

The project faced further delays, yet gained momentum after the election of Mike Mbuvi Sonko as Nairobi Governor in 2017. Having prioritized water supply during his campaign, Sonko lobbied for support from the central government to expedite the project despite ongoing resistance from regional leaders.

Recognizing the importance of collaboration, Sonko brought together Nairobi, Kiambu, and Murang’a counties to advance the project, helping to address the World Bank’s concerns over project delays and establishing a reputation for reliability.

Sonko’s administration subsequently partnered with the World Bank and African Development Bank on a comprehensive water infrastructure plan. Key components included installing a water pipeline from Kiambu to Nairobi and constructing a 14-million-liter reservoir at Embakasi Garrison Barracks to reduce the city’s 250,000 cubic meter water deficit. By 2019, Sonko had allocated funds to improve citywide water supply infrastructure through partnerships with Athi Water and NWSC, aligning projects to accommodate the expanded network once the Northern Collector was completed.

Although slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonko’s consistent support for World Bank projects earned the city additional investments, including new fire stations at Kangundo and Waithaka and an agreement to construct a water channel from Kabete to South C estate.

His administration’s reliability led to a Sh9 billion World Bank investment in Nairobi’s light rail infrastructure.

As Nairobi anticipates the benefits of the new water supply, former governor Sonko urged Governor Sakaja to prevent cartels from monopolizing distribution, warning that such influence could limit the positive impact.

Sakaja, meanwhile, has promised residents they can expect cleaner, more frequent water access, with NWSC Managing Director Nahashon Muguna confirming that partial distribution from the tunnel has already begun, with a full rollout expected soon.

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