The Kerugoya-Kutus Sewerage Project, designed to benefit 40,000 people, will be the first waste-water treatment facility in Kirinyaga County is currently undergoing a test run.
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Mugaa, visited the sewerage treatment plant in Ahiti-Ndomba, Mwea to assess the progress. The project is implemented by Tana Water Works Development Agency (TWWDA).
Speaking at the sewerage plant the CS pointed out that the project is meant to dignify and improve sanitation within the county.
“The project is being tested with around 12 connections from key government installations and facilities, major schools, and some apartments.
And we are now requesting the people of Kerugoya, Kutus, and its environments, where we have trunk sewers, to start applying. The company the tana water company here has confirmed that they are holding barazas and receiving applications,” he said.
The CS who was accompanied by TWWDA CEO, Philip Gichuki, and officials from the county government of Kirinyaga said the applicants now are at 150 but the project is meant to benefit more than 40,000 people.
“The facility, as we speak, is underutilised. The people running the plant are required to dilute the inflow so that, there is adequate for treatment here.”
The project is set to receive additional Sh200 million through last mile connectivity to ensure efficiency in its operations especially at secondary and tertiary trunk sewers.
Additionally, the clean water installation will be done within the facility for the usage by the staff funded by African Development Bank.
The CS said the challenge of vandalism will be solved as they have ordered the area security team to help with the maintenance and also be vigilant on matters of security so that the project is sustained.
Eng. Muuga noted the sanitation in the country has lagged behind, and the Ministry is encouraging all water projects done by the Ministry must be accompanied by a sanitation project.
“It must have a sanitation component to improve our sanitation connectivity because, as of now, we are around 32 percent nationally, and we are trying to raise this. Apart from the centralized sewer, we’re encouraging people to have on-site sanitation facilities”
The CS further recognised the need for expansion of the treatment plant in future as the population grows which requires more land, noting that they are in consultation with Tana Water Development Agency and also the county government to acquire more land.
“We just have one system. And because of maintenance and operations, it is a requirement to always have a double system, whereby when one is closed because you cannot stop biological processes, the other one is being utilised. Therefore, we are calling up all county governments and other stakeholders involved to help the agency, get some land so that we construct, the double system,” CS Mugaa said.
He expressed optimism that all growing towns will get connected to sewers.
By Mutai Kipngetich