On Saturday, May 29, Water CS Sicily Kariuki and NMS Director-General Mohamed Badi flagged off five operational vehicles and three sewer flushing vehicles.
The automobiles are part of the 22 operational vehicles which are set to be used under the Nairobi Rivers Basin Rehabilitation and Restoration program; Sewerage Improvement project phase II (NaRSIP II) and Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program al under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big 4 Agenda.
Under the Nairobi Rivers Basin Rehabilitation and Restoration Program, sewerage improvement project, NMS aims at enhancing sustainable management of the Nairobi Rivers that support natural ecosystems regeneration, socio-economic activities and improved livelihoods.
These rivers include; Nairobi River, Ngong river, Mathare river, Kiu river, Riara river and Gatharaini river.
The sewer flushing units will reduce pollution levels of Nairobi Rivers by collecting and treating 80,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day as well as enhancing the sustainability of sewerage operations through increased revenue collection.
Nairobi County under its former leadership, Governor Mike Sonko, embarked on manual cleaning of Nairobi rivers. The team retrieved over 14 dead bodies from the sewer filled rivers.
NMS will also increase sewerage coverage in Nairobi City from the current 48 percent to 55 percent. by 2023 to serve over 400,000 residents.
The agency will also rehabilitate and expand inlet works for Dandora Estate Sewerage Treatment Plant, construct 400 kilometres of secondary reticulation sewers and two faecal sludge disposal facilities. It will also build 30 ablution blocks within Nairobi informal settlements.
These projects are being funded by the African Development Bank Group (AFDB) for a period of four years between 2019-2023.
“Throughout our first years we have made a tremendous change in terms of supply of safe water to Nairobi residents and we would not have achieved this if it was not through the indulgence of the Ministry of Water,” Badi stated.
“This project is important because as we focus in Nairobi, it compliments other projects we are implementing as a ministry, across the country,” CS Kariuki added.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM
