Morocco to help Meru, Tharaka Nithi in fixing water scarcity

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi and his Tharaka Nithi counterpart Muthomi Njuki have partnered to fix the water problems in the region.

Critical rivers in the two counties have been drying up and this has led to concerns among residents. They include Thuci, Tungu, Thingithu, Kathita, Maara Nithi, Thangatha, Mariara and Mutonga, among other rivers.

On Friday, the two leaders met to deliberate on the problem. The governors met at Three Steers Hotel in Meru. Morocco Ambassador El Mokhtar  Ghambou was present.

The counties will partner with Morocco in finding lasting solutions. The North African country is the leading exporter of some agricultural products in Africa, despite being a desert.

"Rivers that flow downstream to Tharaka constituency mostly come from Meru county, hence when there is drought, water scarcity brings about tensions between the two counties," Kiraitu said.

He blamed people living near sources along Mount Kenya of misusing water at the expense of those living downstream.

"There is no proper storage of water. At night, water just pours on farms and there is a lot of illegal intake and cutting of many trees in the area. A lot of eucalyptus trees are also planted along the riverbanks," Kiraitu said.

He warned that the two counties risk suffering food shortage if the problem is left to continue, as they need enough water for farming. 

"We are the main producers of coffee and tea, while Morocco is the leading consumer of these products. Furthermore, Morocco is the leading producer of fertilisers, so we can partner," Kiraitu said.

Njuki said many water sources are drying up because of environmental degradation. He urged the regulatory authority to put in place measures that would prevent misuse of water.

 "The Water Resource Management Authority should add more staff to nab those who are putting illegal intake or those taking more water than their licences stipulate," he said.

Ghambou said Morocco adopted good water management practices. They store rainwater for future use.

"We have 155 dams in Morocco. Basically every city in Morroco has a dam. We also have tough policies to store water," he said.

"We have also moved to technology ... and embraced drip irrigation, which does not waste water. We also reuse used water after treating it."

He said just like Mount Kenya, the cities along the Atlas face the same challenges and they can help tackle water shortages before bringing in the new agricultural technology used in Morocco.

(Edited by F'Orieny)