Taita Taveta County residents have gone for four days in a row without water following the termination of water supply by the Coast Water Works Development Agency (CWWDA).
According to CWWDA Director Judith Mwamburi, they cut the supply because the Taita Taveta County Water and Sewerage Company (TAVEVO) has not paid bills amounting to over Ksh688 million.
“About a year ago when I entered office, TAVEVO had a debt of Ksh350 million and it is accumulating to almost double the amount,” she said.
She lamented that even though TAVEVO has been paying, the amount is negligible compared to the debt owed and is not enough to run operations and maintenance.
“Paying Ksh4.2 million in bits is very little compared to the Ksh688 million they are owed. If they could a reasonable amount, it could be better and will enable us to run our maintenance and services,” she said.
While addressing the press at TAVEVO grounds in Voi on Saturday, County Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo acknowledged the challenge and requested residents to bear with the situation as they work around the clock to ensure water supply is restored.
“We have had water challenges and we apologize for that. We had challenges in paying water bills to Coast Water but about two weeks ago, we met and agreed on how to solve the problem. They however went ahead and cut the supply without issuing a notice,” she said.
Kilalo called on residents to also pay their pending water bills which amount to Ksh300 million to enable them to clear the debt.
She however said that the County will look for an alternative to supply essential institutions such as hospitals across the affected areas of Voi and Maungu as they deliberate on a long-term solution.
“We will prioritize hospitals first as we continue to negotiate with Coast Water to continue supplying water,” Kilalo said.
By Michael Oduor
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