Residents' decade-long thirst ends as Kangu Kangu water project finally flows

For years, Mutomo town and its environs have lived under the shadow of perennial thirst. Women and children would wake before dawn, trekking kilometres in search of water from distant seasonal rivers and other unreliable sources.

Those who could afford it would buy the commodity from water merchants, who often hiked the prices to between Sh20–Sh50 per 20-litre jerrican, a price too high for ordinary people.

On Friday, however, that painful chapter appeared to close when Governor Julius Malombe officially launched the Kangu Kangu Water Project — a massive Sh840 million initiative set to serve not only the residents of Mutomo but also the entire Kitui South and parts of Kitui Rural sub-counties.

When the governor cut the tape to commission the project, women who had borne the brunt of water scarcity for decades ululated with joy as clean, consumable water gushed from taps into their containers.

With a 20-litre jerrican now costing a paltry Sh5, the project has brought huge relief to the locals.

“This feels like true freedom. We have suffered for far too long,” said Agness Nduku, a mother of four and a resident of Mutomo town, as she filled her jerricans with water.

“Before this project, we would spend all day chasing water and a lot of money buying it. But now, we have enough clean water for everyone,” she added.

The project, a partnership between the County Government of Kitui and World Vision, which utilises water from River Athi, is more than pipes and kiosks. For the people of Mutomo, it is dignity restored. At Kangu Kangu hills, an elaborate water treatment centre has been established to clean and treat the water — removing all disease-causing pathogens — until it becomes fit for human consumption.

From Kangu Kangu hills, the water is then released by gravity to a giant tank erected in Mutomo town, which serves as the distribution centre for residents and for far-off areas such as Kanziku, Mathima, Mutha and Ikutha.

Speaking after the launch of the project, Governor Malombe noted that the scheme would transform lives and open new doors of opportunity.

“Water is life. With the project running, Mutomo and surrounding areas are secure – families, schools and businesses can now thrive without the fear of scarcity,” Malombe said, adding that the management of the project would be done in a professional and sustainable manner.

The governor said his administration would continue investing in other water projects such as sand dams, sump-wells, water pans and boreholes, with the aim of ensuring access to safe and clean water for county residents.

The Kangu Kangu Water Project has a pipeline length of 224km, passing through six wards, with a total of 52 kiosks where residents are now accessing the commodity at their convenience.

Malombe said the project is designed to serve over 100,000 people in addition to commercial centres.

Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai and her Kitui Central counterpart Makali Mulu described the project as a game changer, saying it would spur other economic activities such as small-scale irrigation farming for food security. They urged locals to own and safeguard the project.