The Senate Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources has raised concern over the worsening shortage of clean and reliable water in the Coast region, with the government revealing that current supply meets only about 42 per cent of the area’s daily demand.
The committee, chaired by Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, received a briefing from Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Murithi Mugaa on the persistent water challenges affecting Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties.
Appearing before the committee in response to a statement sought by Senator Faki, Mugaa said the Coast region remains among Kenya’s most water-stressed areas, with demand continuing to outpace available supply.
“To cushion affected Kenyans from the ongoing crisis, the Government has implemented a range of short-term interventions, including water rationing programmes, emergency repairs on key transmission pipelines, reduction of non-revenue water losses through infrastructure upgrades, and regulation of water vendors to prevent price exploitation during periods of acute shortages,” the CS said.
Mugaa disclosed that the combined daily water demand across the four counties stands at approximately 512,000 cubic metres, against an available supply of about 185,000 cubic metres, leaving a daily deficit of 327,000 cubic metres.
He said existing bulk water sources, including Mzima Springs, Baricho Water Works, Marere Springs and Tiwi Boreholes, continue to support the region but are unable to meet the rising demand driven by population growth and economic expansion.
The Cabinet Secretary told the committee that the flagship Mwache Dam Project, which is expected to significantly improve water availability in Mombasa and Kwale counties, is currently 86 per cent complete.
He said civil works are expected to be completed by September 2026, with impoundment scheduled to begin in October 2026.
Once operational, the dam is projected to provide an additional 186,000 cubic metres of water per day, significantly reducing the region’s water deficit.
On the long-delayed Mzima II Pipeline Project, Mugaa said the initiative is currently under review by the National Treasury’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Directorate after the submission and evaluation of a privately initiated proposal.
He said the PPP model remains a viable option for fast-tracking implementation of the project.
The CS further outlined the government’s long-term strategy to address water shortages at the Coast, including completion of the Mwache Dam Water Supply System, construction of the Baricho II Pipeline, development of the Garsen-Lamu Water Supply Project and expansion of critical water intake works.
Other measures include rehabilitation of distribution networks and investment in climate-resilient solutions such as rainwater harvesting, managed aquifer recharge and solar desalination technologies.
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