The fight against acute water shortage in Kilifi seems to take a new twist after Kilifi County Assembly through its Water and Environment committee on Thursday issued a two months notice to the county governments of Mombasa and Kilifi to come into terms and solve the looming water crisis affecting the people of Kilifi.
Hassan Mohamed, the chairman to the committee said that Kilifi County Assembly will mobilise the people of Kilifi to destroy the pipes at Baricho water pumping station that are directing water to Mombasa County until the two county governments settle the crisis.
Addressing journalists after visiting Baricho water pumping station, Mr. Mohammed revealed that about three-quarters of the water produced at Baricho is pumped to Mombasa while the vast Kilifi is left with barely one-quarter of the water.
“It is sad that Kilifi is the producer of the water but Coast Water Services Board direct the bulk of supply to Mombasa," Mohammed said on Thursday.
"We shall not allow this to happen and we are going to petition the same to the county assembly of Kilifi as what the law states, but if it fails in the county assembly we will have no option but to use force for people of Kilifi to get relief.”
However, the Managing Director of Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO) Gerald Mwambire said that huge power bills have been at loggerheads facing the sector for it has made Baricho water pumping station to get frequent disconnection from Kenya Power.
Earlier, Mwambire had revealed that the monthly power bills at Baricho water pumping station stood at Sh30 million and that financial challenges have made it difficult for the water companies to offset the bill.
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