Residents of Mavoko sub county have been cautioned against constructing structures on water ways thereby compromising drainage systems in the region.
Addressing the press at his office in Athi River town on Tuesday sub county administrator Onesmus Ituo said Machakos County government experiences difficulties in developing infrastructure in some of the areas within the sub county because of the blocked water ways by individuals.
Ituo said the areas included Syiokimau and Mlolongo where construction of roads by the government were hampered by the El Nino rains some time back due to poor storm water drainage.
"Governor Alfred Mutua has good plans for Machakos County as a whole with special interests in Syiokimau where a lot of money from the county government has been pumped for infrastructure development," said Ituo.
He blamed blockage of water ways to poor sub division of land in the areas that he said was done by defiant Mavoko Municipal Council long before devolution took effect.
Ituo said the problem was beyond the county government, arguing it does not have the mandate to manage water ways which is the responsibility of Water Resources Management Authority.
He said poor drainage had thwarted the government's efforts to make roads passable especially in Syiokimau and Mlolongo areas.
Ituo said in the county government's 2013 - 2014 financial year, they carried road works which included grading, graveling and putting up culverts along Mwananchi - Kiungani, Community, Syiokimau - Katani, Quarry - Mulinge and Silanga - Kalembe roads all in Mlolongo and Syiokimau areas that were destroyed by the ongoing heavy rains as a result of water ways blockage.
He said the roads were under repair since they have been periodically carrying out routine maintenance to counter the problem.
Ituo said blockage of the water ways had cost several residents from the region a lot, given that lives, property, households, houses, cattle among other belonging were lost in storm floods during the heavy rains.
He called on WALMAR's intervention to ensure that the drainage paths were immediately cleared to allow for easy flow of storm water.
"I am calling for the WALWAR's intervention since it is their constitutional mandate to deal with water resources mangement and protection. They should ensure that people do not develop on water ways like Sabaki stream," said Ituo.
Ituo said the culprits should be compulsorily evicted and compensated for their land and property by the national government to fix the drainage system and ensure roads constructed by the Machakos government were neither destroyed nor cut off by heavy rains.