By Gastone Valusi
in Machakos.
Residents in Yatta Sub-County want Tana Athi Water Services Board to ensure functionality of the Yatta Canal to ease biting water shortage in the region.
The residents said massive siltation of the canal and diversion of water by several private establishments was to blame for the shortage of water downstream.
They said water vendors had capitalized on the situation and taken advantage of hawking water exorbitantly which was hurting domestic consumers as well as their small businesses.
“Tanathi Water Services Board, through Yatta Water Company must ensure large consumers of water upstream do not jeopardize peasant farmers and other consumers who rely on the canal for water,” the residents said yesterday in Matuu town in a statement read by Peter Muli,a farmer and a resident at Kithimani location.
Yatta Canal, which was initially constructed in the pre-independence era was rehabilitated by the National Government in 2016 at a cost of Kes. 2.2 billion.
It was anticipated that the concrete lining of the canal would improve the water surface flow in the 58-kilometer stretch which was previously inhibited by massive siltation, evaporation and illegal diversions.
A serious water shortage has hit Matuu and Kithimani towns, leading to upsurge of water vendors who have been cashing in on shortage by charging Kes. 30 per 20-litre water container.
The residents are also demanding that the Water Resources Management Authority (Warma) work closely with local stakeholders to ensure proper regulation of the facility for the benefit of all residents.
“It is also critical for Warma to ensure investors and other individuals carrying out large-scale farming activities upstream do not deplete the resource and end up starving thousands of downstream consumers,” they said.
