Residents of Masalani Town in Ijara Sub-County, Garissa County, have appealed for urgent government intervention following a week-long water shortage caused by the disconnection of electricity to the town’s water supply system.
According to local leaders, including Masalani Watchdog Chairman Abdullahi Abdi, former Ijara County Council Chairman Mohamed Gure and resident Hibo Yasin, the disruption has left thousands of households without piped water despite residents paying monthly water bills.
The leaders said consumers pay approximately Sh1,000 per month for water services but have been unable to access water through the town’s distribution network since the electricity supply was disconnected.
Residents who can afford the cost have been forced to purchase water delivered by bowsers at between Sh2,000 and Sh3,000, while those unable to meet the expense rely on a community borehole established by the Haji Foundation in memory of the late former Garissa Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji.
The borehole was later developed with support from Garissa Senator Abdul Mohamed Haji and Director-General of the National Intelligence Service Noordin Haji, providing an alternative source of water for vulnerable residents.
Officials at the Masalani water supply scheme attributed the crisis to the disconnection of electricity by Kenya Power over an outstanding electricity bill of approximately Sh950,000.
They noted that although residents continue paying their monthly water charges, the utility has accumulated arrears that led to the power disconnection and subsequent shutdown of water pumping operations.
Efforts to obtain comments from Ijara Sub-County Water Coordinator Noor Mohamed Buthul and Garissa County Executive Committee Member for Water and Irrigation Ahmed Buba were unsuccessful.
Residents warned that the prolonged water shortage poses a serious public health risk, including the possibility of waterborne disease outbreaks, and urged the county government and relevant agencies to restore the water supply without further delay.
By Dahir Mohamed
