Nairobi Metropolitan Service begins drilling boreholes in informal settlements

Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) has commenced drilling of boreholes and elevation of steel water tanks as part of ongoing water interventions in the informal settlements in Nairobi as the country fights against the Coronavirus pandemic.

The boreholes will be drilled in Kibera, Mathare and Mukuru kwa Njenga.

Some of the borehole water supply projects include Mukuru-Lungalunga water project at Lunga Lunga Health Centre, St Elizabeth borehole, Mukuru Kwa Njenga water project at Kwa Njenga Primary School, Lang’ata Southlands water project at Southland Kijiji borehole site and Makina Community water project at Kibera DC’s borehole site.

The project comes at a time when Nairobi residents are faced with acute water shortage.

The city currently has only two major water treatment plants, Ng’ethu and Sasumua.

While inspecting the ongoing projects, Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu said the projects will deliver an additional 8 million litres of water to residents in the informal settlements at completion.

Water demand in Nairobi has grown to more than 810,000 cubic meters daily against an installed production of 525,600 cubic meters of water daily presenting a demand gap of 284,400 meters cubic on a daily basis with the slum areas being most affected.