Why there is rampant water shortage in Kilifi, Mung'aro explains

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro has explained the reasons why most residents in his county experience water shortage.

This comes when the county is hosting the Kilifi County International Investment Conference, launched on Thursday.

Speaking during an interview on ktn Thursday night, Governor Mung'aro said the county lacks infrastructure for water supply and that the cost of power for supplying water is also too high.

He disclosed that the county pays up to Sh60 million to Kenya Power as the monthly cost of power. This he says, is about 50 percent to 60 percent of the county revenue.

"When you come to water, we have done so many pipings. The challenge we have had as a county on water is that one, and I've talked to the President about this, that Kenya power prices are very high," Governor Mung'aro said.

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"Kilifi county is one of the five counties in Kenya that have really advanced on piping of water. The challenge we have is the cost of water and we have asked the President if he could allow us to run our plants in Malindi like a county," he added.

The county boss argues that it is also hard for residents to access water easily because the water used in the coastal counties is supplied by one body, the Coast Water Works Development Body.

He has further asserted that efforts to decentralize the water supply have been met with challenges that require more funding.

"Because they are the ones who do the infrastructure, they said we should develop ours, and we are developing the infrastructure now. We've spent Sh1.4 billion over the last two years as a county to develop new infrastructure for water," he said.

As a result, he said the county has invested heavily in water infrastructure through partnerships and donations from non-governmental bodies like the World Bank.

Moreover, Governor Mung'aro says that through the ongoing development conference in Kilifi, he is optimistic of bringing more investors on board.

This event highlights Kilifi’s vast investment potential in sectors such as tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, and manufacturing.

The conference aims to foster partnerships that drive economic growth, create jobs, and improve quality of life.