Kirinyaga County begins laying Ksh.100M bulk water pipeline to supply Mwea

The works are part of Phase One of the Mwea bulk water supply project, which targets eight wards and is aimed at expanding access to piped water in areas that have long relied on canals, wells and other unsafe sources.

Construction has already begun on the extension of the Kandongu–Mutithi bulk water pipeline to supply villages in Mutithi and Wamumu wards. At the same time, rehabilitation of the Nyamindi water intake is underway to boost supply to parts of Nyangati, Gathigiriri, Tebere and Thiba wards.

Governor Anne Waiguru said the county has allocated KSh100 million for the first phase of the project, which includes extending main pipelines and feeder lines, rehabilitating water intakes and supplying pipes and fittings to expand the distribution network.

Additional works will involve extending the Kutus–Kimbimbi bulk water pipeline and feeder lines to supply residents in Gathigiriri, Tebere and Thiba wards. Murinduko ward will benefit from the completion of the Mugaru water project, while Kangai ward will be served through the extension of existing lines to areas including Kombuini, Kangai and Karii.

County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Energy, Climate Change, Natural Resources, Water and Irrigation James Mutugi said the project includes five main components: extension of the Kandongu–Mutithi and Kutus–Nyangati–Kimbimbi bulk water pipelines, rehabilitation of the Nyamindi intake, and supply of pipes and fittings to expand the distribution system.

Mutugi said rehabilitation of the Nyamindi intake will increase water volumes along the Mwea–Makima system, improving supply once the pipeline works are completed.

County officials said the project is expected to raise access to clean water in Kirinyaga to about 78 per cent once completed. In the long term, the initiative is projected to benefit more than 100,000 households.

Residents in the affected areas welcomed the development, noting that many households currently depend on irrigation canals and shallow wells for domestic water.

Lilian Wanjiku, a resident, said the project would reduce reliance on contaminated water sources that have previously exposed communities to illness.

Another resident, Ndegwa Ikubu from Mugaa village in Mutithi ward, said the community has waited years for piped water and hopes the project will reduce waterborne diseases linked to unsafe water sources.

Peterson Njuguna, a resident of Mutithi, described the development as significant for the community, saying many households in the area have never had piped water in their homes.