Mukuru residents to start buying water using tokens

A section of Mukuru kwa Reuben slum in Nairobi. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Sub-Sahara Africa is yet to meet the goal. FILE PHOTO | NMG

By COLLINS OMULO
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Summary

• Already, 10 stations that will utilise the system have been established at strategic points across the sprawling informal settlement with Mukuru kwa Reuben residents set to be the first beneficiaries of the project.
• NMS Deputy Director for Water and Sanitation Stephen Githinji said the project is aimed at enhancing access to clean water at affordable price to the low-income area residents.

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company are set to introduce a water token system in Nairobi’s Mukuru slums which will see a 20-litre jerrican sell at 50 cents.

Already, 10 stations that will utilise the system have been established at strategic points across the sprawling informal settlement with Mukuru kwa Reuben residents set to be the first beneficiaries of the project.

NMS Deputy Director for Water and Sanitation Stephen Githinji said the project is aimed at enhancing access to clean water at affordable price to the low-income area residents.

He said with the token system, residents will just pay for the amount of water they need.

Once the tokens have been bought, they are swiped into machines at designated stations.

“The tokens are being sold at 50 cents per 20 liters. Once residents are given the chip, they will insert it into a gadget at the water stations which will automatically release the amount of water the resident requested for,” said Mr Githinji.

Nairobi has experienced water challenges for years and in 2017, water rationing programme began in the city with slum dwellers bearing the heaviest burden of the crisis.

Water demand in Nairobi has increased to more than 810,000 cubic meters daily against an installed production capacity of 525,600 cubic meters daily, presenting a demand gap of 284,400 cubic meters which keeps on growing every year.

Water vendors have cashed in on the crisis to sell water at exorbitant prices with a 20-litre jerrican going for between Sh20 and Sh50.

Mr Githinji said the new project will also reduce long queues by residents to get water from water from boreholes and water bowsers supplied by NMS.

The water stations are connected to Nairobi Water and NMS for remote monitoring and supervision.

“With the water token system, we don’t need many people to man the station. Only one officer will be in charge to serve the consumers,” he said.

Mukuru slum hosts almost half a million people and is divided into five areas — Kwa Njenga, Kwa Reuben, Fuata Nyayo, Pipeline and Viwandani.

The residents have been making long queues to get free water distributed daily by NMS with one million litres of water supplied across city informal settlements every day using 42 water bowsers.