Thousands of residents living in Nairobi’s informal settlements, including Mukuru, Kibera, Mathare, and Kawangware, are set to benefit from a new clean water and simplified sewer network under a county-led project aimed at improving sanitation and public health.
Governor Johnson Sakaja said the initiative, spearheaded by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, seeks to end decades of reliance on illegal and unsafe water connections that have long exposed residents to contamination and erratic supply.
“Through our water company, we have constructed a three-kilometre simplified sewer line in Mukuru Kwa Reuben, connecting close to 10,000 households that’s about 80,000 residents who are now getting clean water for the first time,” said Sakaja.
The project is part of the Nairobi Sanitation Program and is being implemented in collaboration with the Athi Water Works Development Agency and the African Water Facility. It aims to deliver affordable, sustainable, and reliable sanitation services in Nairobi’s most underserved areas.
Sakaja noted that the new system will ensure consistent water delivery while reducing losses caused by illegal tapping.
“We are addressing the challenge of poor sanitation by selling water affordably and expanding our network using locally available technology,” he added.
According to Nairobi Water Chief Officer Oscar Omoke, the simplified sewer technology marks a breakthrough in urban sanitation.
“It is cheaper, faster to install, and adaptable to the dense layout of informal settlements compared to traditional systems,” Omoke said.
The Governor also announced that Nairobi is now receiving an additional 140 million litres of water daily from the Northern Collector Tunnel, raising total supply to 665 million litres per day. This has improved water pressure and delivery across several estates, including Mathare, Umoja, Eastleigh, South B, and Donholm.
Water from the Kabete Reservoir now reaches key areas such as Westlands, Upper Hill, Lang’ata, and parts of Karen.
Sakaja is expected to commission the new Lang’ata Water Project in the coming weeks a move he says will finally end long-standing water shortages in the area.
“Every Nairobian deserves access to clean water and dignified sanitation no matter where they live,” said the Governor.
