Bomet dries up: Eight-month water crisis blamed on Sh20m unpaid power bills
Dry water taps.
What you need to know:
- The town of Bomet has faced an acute water shortage for eight months due to the Bomet Water and Sanitation Company's (Bomwasco) inability to pay an electricity bill of almost Sh20 million to Kenya Power, resulting in disconnection.
- This has left taps dry in offices, homes, businesses and institutions, creating a booming business for water vendors and forcing Bomwasco to use bowsers to supply essential services.
An acute water shortage has persisted in Bomet town for the last eight months due to unpaid electricity bills by the county government.
Taps are dry at the Governor’s office, county headquarters, national and county offices spread across the town, in residential and commercial housing units, as well as in hotels and institutions.
The cash-starved Bomet Water and Sanitation Company (Bomwasco) is unable to supply water to the residents after Kenya Power disconnected electricity supplies over unpaid bills running to almost Sh20 million.
Water bowsers are now being used by Bomwasco to supply water to the key offices with business booming for water vendors who are supplying water to residents using motorbikes, pickup trucks, tractors and lorries.
“We are selling a 20-litre jerrican for Sh20, but the demand is so high in Bomet town that we cannot service all of them,” said Mr David Langat, a water vendor.
The county government that owns Bomwasco has paid Sh10 million to Kenya Power with a promise to pay another Sh8 million by the end of the month in a bid to have water reconnected.
Governor Hillary Barchok has confirmed that his administration is facing challenges in supplying water to the residents of the region due to the high cost of electricity.
“The bills for all the supply points have been amalgamated by Kenya Power in a way that when we pay for one, it cannot be reconnected unless we pay for all of it. We are seeking ways to bring the issue to an end,” Prof Barchok said.
Prof Barchok stated that the ongoing installation of solar systems in the water treatment plants and pumping stations in Bomet town had not achieved the desired results.
“We are implementing a solarisation programme in order to wean off reliance on electricity to the water pumping stations. But the greatest challenge we are facing is the failure to generate enough power due to the overshadowing of the solar panels by trees along the Nyangores river,” said Prof Barchok.
The Governor said completion of the Sh1.2 billion Bomet-Longisa-Mulot water project funded by the African Development Bank, which supplies water by gravity would go a long way in easing the water shortage pressure.
For the last eight years, Bomwasco has been faced with cash flow challenges and has not paid salaries to its employees in the last two years. Members of the County Assembly recently recommended changes in the company’s operation structure in a bid to turn into a profit making outfit.
“Bomwasco has been making losses over the years despite the county government allocating it funds. We have to bite the bullet and make radical changes in the operations of the company” Mr Charles Langat, the Boito Ward Member of the County Assembly said.
Mr Langat who is the Chairperson of the Public Investment Committee (PIC) and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the company should be self-sustaining in generating funds, but it was not collecting enough revenue despite having more than 14,000 customer base.
Mr Ernest Kipkemoi, the Mogogosiek MCA said despite the pressure from the county assembly to have the financial challenges facing Bomwasco to be addressed, the county government was not keen on sorting out the mess.
“The county government has a responsibility to supply residents with water. But the devolved unit has abdicated its responsibility with those in charge of the sector and the political class in the executive arm appearing not to be bothered at all” Mr Kipkemoi said.
Rising population in the town has fueled the demand for high volumes of water, which the devolved government unit is unable to meet.