Residents of Nairobi will soon get an additional 140 million litres of water following the commissioning of the Northern Collector I, an initiative meant to offer relief to the perennial water shortages that plague Kenya's capital city.

Speaking during a tour of the Gigiri Reservoir and pumping station this week, Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja said this project will include integration of the Northern Water Collector Tunnel into Nairobi's water infrastructure.

The project consists of a tunnel, a water treatment centre, and a pipeline linking the latter to Nairobi’s Gigiri reservoir. Water will be channelled into the Ndakaini dam through the tunnel from Gikigie, Irati, and Mathioya rivers. The French Development Agency funded the 11.8-kilometre tunnel.

Currently, Nairobi’s  water demand is 900 million litres per day but can only supply 525 million litres.

"The first source of water (Kikuyu Spring) that produces about 6,000 cubic meters of water was  developed between 1904-1910. The water infrastructures later developed Ruiru and Sasumwa dams that couldn't supply adequate water for city residents. Ndakaini dam that gives Nairobians 84 per cent of water was developed 525M litres daily but that is not enough, we need 900M litres daily," he said.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure more equitable water distribution across Nairobi, particularly in areas that have long struggled with inadequate supply.

"Residents in Eastlands, Kabete, Lang’ata, Embakasi, Karen, Dagoreti, Kawangware, Riruta, Uthiru and other areas that have been receiving water only once a week will soon see their supply increase to twice or even three times a week."

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The Governor also elaborated on the importance of water quality and said that engineers from the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) conduct rigorous tests every 30 minutes to ensure that the water meets the highest standards. 

"Our goal is to reduce the reliance on borehole water to prevent water-related diseases," he added.

Governor Sakaja also announced that international partners from Southeast Asia have pledged over $100 million, approximately Kes14.6 billion to boost Nairobi’s water sector.

“We have secured 100 million Euros for Nairobi through Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company to do the Northern Collector Tunnel II and Maragua IV,” Said Governor Sakaja.

This funding is crucial as Nairobi's population is projected to reach 10 million by 2050, necessitating substantial investments in infrastructure to meet the growing demand.

Governor Sakaja lauded the NWSC for its recent achievements in water bill collections, which reached a record Ksh10.7 billion in the last financial year. 

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