The ministry of Water and Sanitation is undertaking public views that will shape policy guideline on management of county water companies incessantly riddled by mismanagement and boardroom wars.
Water Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu said some water companies are unable to repay loans despite charging water meters to the end users majority of them individual members of the public.
“These companies are supposed to charge meter rates and use the money to sustain the projects and in some cases repay loans that were used to develop the same. Unfortunately most county governments are unable to pay despite selling the water. Now that we are undertaking reforms in the ministry.” Irungu said.
He said constitutionally, water is a concurrent function where National Government develops infrastructure for bulky water and hands it over to county government to connect end users through water users companies. However, water companies in all the forty-seven counties have been rocked in leadership wrangles infiltrated by political and business interests pitting the board and the administrative management wing.
“One of our biggest challenge that could prevent us from attaining our objective of ensuring that 80 per cent of Kenyans have access to clean and quality water by the year 2022 is inability to sustain the existing projects.” Irungu added. Last week, Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) employees disconnected water supply rendering taps dry in turf wars between the county leadership and Muwasco manangement.
Early this year, the cash strapped Bungoma and Trans Nzoia’s water services provider, Nzoia Water Services Company was on the verge of collapse due to huge debts and internal wars among managers. Recruitment of managing directors of the water companies by the respective board of directors is always a high stakes affair that sometimes result to long-running court battles.
