Chapter Leadership Meets Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company Directors

Industrial Area Chapter Executive Committee Members under the leadership of the Chapter Chairman, Mr. Manoj Shah held a consultative meeting with the management of Nairobi County Water and Sewerage Company led by the Managing Director, Eng. Philip Gichuki.

During the meeting, the chairman raised concern over failure by the utility company to supply water to industries despite multiple promises. He further challenged the company to fix the perennial sewer menace in Industrial Area. Earlier commitment to rehabilitate the Lunga Lunga line by May this year had failed to bear fruits and not much progress had been recorded to the suffering of manufacturers and other investors. He also challenged the demand by the company to issue an annual effluent discharge license on top of the monthly sewerage usage fee which amounts to double taxation.

In his response, Eng. Gichuki regretted the company’s failure to rehabilitate the Lunga Lunga road line as earlier promised, noting that the delay was as a result of procurement complications. However, he assured the meeting that the tender was in the final stages of advertisement. He further acknowledged that indeed water supply in Industrial Area, just like other parts of the city is a challenge due to various reasons, especially the overwhelming demand, unpredictable weather conditions and tapping, especially in informal settlements. He promised to prioritize industries in the rationing.

The MD emphasized that every business that discharges effluent into the sewer must have the effluent discharge license as contained in the Environmental Management and Coordination Act  (EMCA) (1999) as well as the Water Act (2016). To cushion businesses from any form of harassment, a road-map towards the implementation will be prepared jointly with KAM. In the meantime, NCWSC employees are conducting awareness campaigns as members await further instructions. A sensitization forum shall be called to provide the way forward at a later date. To easily identify the company’s valid employees, members of the public make use of the NCWSC mobile system by dialing *888#.