Transmara residents will have to wait for four more months if they are to quench their thirst, as completion of the multimillion Kilgoris-Lolgorian Water project is delayed.
The implementation of the project is being overseen by China State Construction and Engineering Company and it is funded by Government of Kenya in collaboration with African Development Bank to the tune of Sh800 Million.
The construction of the Project kicked off in January 2021and was to be completed by 31st July 2022.
However, the Contractor has cited land acquisition issues and delayed payments as two major challenges which has hindered completion of the project within the stipulated time.
Having failed to beat the deadline, the contractor requested for an extension of four months within which he said the project would be completed and handed over to the government, a request which KNA learnt has been granted.
“Land acquisition issues are now behind us, since the government has come in handy to help us acquire the required land size for the completion of the project. We are sure by October the project will be done and dusted ready to be handed over to the government for use. To be precise, water will be flowing in homesteads by the end of the year,” said Eng. Joseph Mutinda, a representative for the company.
Once completed, the project will have the capacity to serve close to 12,000 households within Kilgoris and Lolgorian towns.
Dwellers from the two towns have always depended on the unreliable rain water for drinking and meeting other domestic needs.
The situation is the same for Stephen Ole Kitiapi, a resident of Kilgoris Town.
“We have depended on rain water for quite a long time. The rain itself is quite unreliable so during dry seasons I have to pay someone to bring me water which in most cases is unsafe for drinking and cooking,” he said.
He explained that he only bought cooking and drinking water when money was available but regretted in most cases he risked the health of his family by using water supplied by vendors for cooking and at times for drinking.
“This water project carries hope for the people of Transmara. We anxiously look forward to the time it will be completed,” said Lilian Omondi a resident of Lolgorian Town, describing the project as a game changer.
