Sh25 million power bill leaves Bomet water taps dry

Bomet town residents are facing an acute water shortage occasioned by a Sh25 million electricity bill.

The shortage, that has persisted for one month, has forced to fetch water from a nearby dam.

Water vendors are making a kill from the crisis by selling water at exorbitant prices.

A 20-litre jerrycan is selling at Sh30 for every 20 litres.

Boda boda operators have abandoned public transport to sell water to hotels, schools and private residents.

A rider said he makes more than Sh3,000 daily from the water business. 

“While we are not happy seeing people suffering, we also have to make money and people are satisfied because we deliver the commodity on their door steps,” he said.

Melody chepkemoi, a hotel operators at the Central Business District, said the shortage has hit her hard..

“We spend a lot of time looking for water and sometimes we open business as late as 10 am. How I wish that this issue is sorted,” she said.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at Chepteny beek dam off Silibwet-Tenwek Road as Boda Boda riders and water bowsers scrambled to fetch water.

Following the crisis, residents are now threatening to stage demonstrations today to compel the county to solve the crisis

Former Silibwet Township MCA aspirant Bildad Cheruiyot said the crisis is out of negligence from the Bomet Water and Sanitation Company and the County leadership.

Cheruiyot accused MCAs of abdicating their oversight role and going to bed with the county executive at the expense of the residents.

“We elected leaders to the county assembly, Senate and National Assembly who we thought would ensure all services are provided but they are all sleeping on the Job,” he said.

"We are going to demonstrate on Thursday [today] until the executive pays the electricity bill and restores water supply," he said.

Peter Langat said they fear that the situation might lead to an outbreak of cholera or typhoid.

He urged public health officials to swing into action and ensure hotels treat water well.

“Heavy rains have just subsided and most rivers are contaminated and this is where people are getting water they are using. We are staring at a health crisis if nothing is done,” he said.

Bomet Water executive Benard Tonui said the county is working round the clock to restore water supply.

He said a team is out sensitising residents on how to treat drinking and cooking water to avert an outbreak of waterborne diseases.

He confirmed Kenya Power had disconnected electricity supply over unpaid bills.

Tonui said the delay in paying the electricity bills has been occasioned by delayed disbursement of funds from national government.

He said the county has not received money from the national treasurer for the past three months.

“We give the water company a subsidy which is uses to pay electricity and that has not been possible in the last three months because of the delays from national government,” Tonui said.

The water company's processing plant was also destroyed during the recent heavy rains.

“The intake is blocked, plumb house got flooded after River Nyangores broke its banks and we had to overhaul it before resuming operations and again lack money has held us back,” he said.