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Masalani residents in Garissa decry extreme water shortage

Women protest in Garissa town following an acute water shortage in the past. (Photo: Abdimalik Hajir)

By Abdimalik Hajir | Friday, April 5, 2024

Residents who cannot afford to buy water from water bowsers hire boda boda operators to fetch the commodity near River Tana.

Residents of the Masalani area in Garissa, have decried the extreme water shortage that has forced them to buy the commodity at exorbitant prices.

Locals decried their pleas for intervention were unanswered for close to three to four months, and thus urged Governor Nathif Jama to act immediately and solve the menace.

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"I have bought this 20-litre Jerrycan for Sh50 because I can not afford Sh2,500 currently being charged by water browsers," Mama Halima Mohamed complained.

She added that the county government did not offer any explanation for the water shortage at a time when residents have been celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.

Other locals lamented that water bowsers have been taking advantage of the shortage by charging higher prices for the precious commodity.

"Water browsers initially used to charge Sh1,500, but now ask for between Sh2,000 to Sh2,500 owing to the high demand for the scarce water," said Mohamud Hassan, another resident.

Residents who cannot afford to buy water from water bowsers hire boda boda operators to fetch the commodity near River Tana.

Speaking to Eastleigh Voice at his office in Masalani, Ahmed Mohamed Buthul, the sub-county water officer acknowledged water shortages in the town but efforts were underway to restore smooth water supply.

He admitted facing challenges both at the water intake and supply points as three pumps have been non-functional, with their alternators said to be faulty.

This has forced water to be rationed in the town since the only pump left can supply one area at a time.

Intermittent power outages have also plagued the town since the start of Ramadan, according to the water officer, interrupting the smooth supply of the commodity. He advocated for an alternative source of power to facilitate water supply.

Ahmed, who said he has been in the office for a week after the management was reshuffled, also cited the fast-growing population as another cause of water shortages. New settlements that were not initially planned for also needed water, stretching the already thin resources.

An official at the department who requested to speak anonymously, because he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the management, claimed that the county government does not directly fund the water department and only pays electricity bills and salaries for staff.

"Just recently accumulated electricity bills have resulted in water shortage because the county micromanages the department instead of devolving funds at the grassroots," alleged the official.

"The essence of devolution is that every sub-county should have its own allocations, which they manage. However, this is not happening and it's one of our biggest challenges in water supply in the sub-counties," added the official.

The Eastleigh Voice learnt that the county government settled up to Sh3.2 million in electricity bills two weeks ago after Kenya Power officials threatened to cut off power.