Eldoret residents have complained about an acute water shortage that has hit most parts of the town.
They said this has hurt their Christmas celebrations. They want the county government to act swiftly and fix the problem.
But Eldoret Water Company CEO Jimmy Kemboi yesterday said they had no option but to ration supply to serve residents in all areas. He said the town has a daily shortage of 15 million litres.
“We need more than 50 million litres daily, but we get about 35 million litres. We’re doing all we can to tackle the problem,” Kemboi said.
The firm plans to implement new water projects, he said.
Meanwhile, Trans Nzoia county has said it will work closely with the Nzoia Water and Sewerage Company to ensure regular supply of water to Kitale town and other parts of the county.
Deputy Governor Stanley Tarus yesterday said there has been a public outcry over shortages.
“Our people have been complaining about the issue of irregular water supply. We’ve decided to work with Nzowasco because our county is bestowed with water resources that we should exploit,” he said.
Tarus said Trans Nzoia is the source of water that is supplied to other counties in Western Kenya and it should be prioritised in major water projects located in the region.
The county will deploy enforcement officers to ensure no vandalism of water pipes and tanks takes place, the deputy county boss said.
The county will help the water firm to broaden its revenue collection base so it can increase supply. Tarus said they have bought two drilling rigs for areas not been covered by piped water.
Nzowasco MD Tom Musundi urged Kenya Power to come up with new tariffs that suit large consumers because huge bills undermine the water firm’s operations.
He said vandalism and illegal connections cause 37 per cent of water loss, translating into more than Sh10 million loss in monthly revenues.