Wa Iria wants national government to pay KSh 2 billion for water flowing from Murang’a into Nairobi county – Sonko however insists Nairobi county has title deed to the controversial dam President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday, October 6, warned Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his Murang’a counterpart Mwangi wa Iria to stop water politics between the two county governments.
Speaking during the monthly Nairobi county clean-up exercise, Uhuru said water was a free gift from God and it was unfortunate the two governors were claiming ownership of water drawn from Ndakaini Dam.
“We want to ensure we have enough clean water. This why I’m appealing to the leaders, please let’s stop this petty water politics. Water is gift from God to mankind. What we need to focus on is how to utilise it for the good of the people. It is our resources,” he said. Wa Iria demands the government to pay KSh 2 billion for water flowing from the dam and used by consumers outside his county.
The county chief also had instructed his electorate not to pay water bills to Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company until he orders otherwise.
He took issue with Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui and his Principal Secretary Peter Irungu, whom he claimed had deployed troops of police to harass locals for not paying their water bills. In a rejoinder, Sonko maintained his county government has title deed to Ndakaini Dam whose main source of water he said is Chania river and the Aberdare hills, all in Nyandarua county.
