The Sh1 billion Mandera Water Supply and Sanitation Project is set to be completed by November this year.
The Government of Kenya funded project under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program is set to benefit 80,000 people in Mandera County.
Tana Water Services Board (TWSB) an implementing agency on behalf of Northern Water Services Board (NWSB) intends to improve the access, quality, availability and sustainability of water supply and wastewater management services in Mandera.
Mandera County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha while on an assessment tour of the project which was started in November 2018 estimated that the completion exercise may take another 78 weeks.
He expressed optimism that the project which included the construction of a wastewater disposal system complete with treatment plant for Mandera Town would have an intake capacity of 6,000m3 per day.
Tana Water Service Board chief executive Philip Gichuki, resident Engineer Bernard Owiti said the pipeline would to cover at least 48.5 km of sewers’ line.
“This is a mega project. Some of its important components is construction of Trunk, Primary, Secondary and Consumer Sewer lines totalling 48.5km long for various sizes, and the government is very keen on ensuring it’s done by November,” says Engineer Owiti said.
The project also includes the construction of public toilets at Shaf Shaffey Primary School and at Mandera Military camp as well as construction of perimeter fence around the wastewater stabilization ponds fitted with a gate,” added Owiti.
Also included in the designing of the project is the construction of all-weather access road to and within the ponds and Construction of operation and maintenance administrative Building equipped with a Laboratory.
During the inspection, it was noted that challenges experience during the acquisition of the site for the pond after a section of residents rejected the compensation the government had offered were sorted
By Charles Matacho
