Skip to main content

The curious tragedy of Nairobi Water

With an  ISO 9001 certification to boot, this is the much water
that Nairobi Water can supply to my house
 Next year, Kenya will mark 50 years since it gained its indepedence. At 50 years of age, an average Kenyan citizen has 10 years to live, if they are female, or 8 more if they are male. A few years ago, they would already be dead, but we have  improved health care, standards of living and reduced HIV impact to thank for.

Not to be left out, the state of utilities and services in Kenya is wanting, like in many other countries. After years of neglect ,Kenya has proved sceptic wrong  (including yours truly ) by coming up with stunning highways, while the country''s power utility, Kenya Power, is ranked amongst the best South of the Sahara and North of the Limpopo. However, water has continued to be a big problem across the country.

Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, Nairobi's sole water provider has not disappointed many. The firm, like a citizen at 50, has aged gracefully and might was well be dead by the time Kenya hits 60.

At one point, it is rumoured that Nairobi Water's predecessor could supply clean water reliably, around the city.

Nowadays, it is stated that Nairobi Water does not normally have enough water in dams to supply the city. That, however, is not their biggest problem. Over the years, as the firm ages , Nairobi Water as failed to construct water pipes to supply a growing Nairobi with water.

Nairobi Water does not have enough pipe capacity to supply the less-than-enough-water in its dams.

One of my neighbours has come up with an
innovative way to tackle Nairobi Water's schedule-less schedule
For the above reason, Nairobi Water has to ration water supply to various areas around the city, whether it is raining the hardest a 50 year old has seen , or whether it is the driest number of months that a 50 year old can remember.

In most cases, the tragedy would come to an end at this point, but like a bottomless well, it doesn't.

Nairobi Water simple water rationing schedule is too difficult for the firm to stick to. Once, or twice, I have my friend has been forced to consider a dark unlaundered shirt as part of his outfit. See, the laundry lady comes once a week, on a blue Monday. However, due to Monday blues or unknown reasons, Nairobi Water fails to supply water as per its rationing schedule on a few Mondays. Being a firm of surprises, it ends up supplying water on days that it promises it won't.

Other than a schedule-less rationing schedule, various city citizens also have to grapple with low volumes of water supply, just enough for a trickle.

As you are familiar by now, the tragedy doesn't come to an end.

On my way to work, I have watched Murangá road being constructed. The contractor has had to delay part of their work for months. I have counted a sewage contractor redo a sewer line not less than three times, with stinking failure.

Further down the road, near the temple at Forest Road, another of Nairobi Sewer's will overflow and spill effluent into a stream. Years of experience have proved futile in finding a lasting solution.

On my way home, I encounter slow moving traffic. It takes a few seconds of manoeuvring to get beyond a trench on Enterprise Road, at the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation. It is rumoured that Nairobi Water dug across the tarmac to lay a pipe. Old age comes with memory loss.

It is easy to live without using Nairobi Water's water for a month, but not before you get a bill, which is distinguishable when broken down - it charges more miscellaneously than for water consumed.

A silver lining to Nairobi's Water tragedy is the firms ISO 9001 certification. Nairobi Water is among more than 1 million firms awarded an ISO 9001 certification for  "quality management systems ,  designed to help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders (cited from Wikipedia)".

I need to turn off my tap, just in case quality water which meets my needs comes in tomorrow when I''m not in my house and floods it.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Best mid-budget tyres in Kenya 2025

It is often said that tyres are the only thing keeping you in contact with the ground, and therefore safety is essential here. If we all could afford, we could purchase the best set of Michelin that money can buy and there would be no need to discuss options.  But wishes are simply that.

Beers in Kenya: A sober opinion

Note: This is a dated post and has since been mostly passed by events. SAB Miller beers including Castle and Peroni are no longer widely available in Kenya after their exist. Sirville Brewery was bought out by Brew Bistro before being permanently shut in a tax dispute. Kenya is a land of milk, honey, beaches and taxes. I have penned, or is typed, a newer post here .  Peroni - One of the best beers in Kenya. Did a taste of canned and bottled Italian, and bottled Tanzanian I like the tangy flavour and body in Tanzanian Peroni. The can is close. Heineken drinkers will like the Italian one.  I have had a short beer swigging stint in my life. It has however been long enough for me to share my opinion of Kenyan beer. Interestingly, over the course of sharing such opinions with other drunkards connoisseurs,  I have found that we all have different views as to what beer is the best, which one makes you too drunk, or which one gives one free, extra hangover for every ha...

Nairobi's Top 4 Texas Brisket Places Reviewed and Ranked

Brisket on a bed of roast vegetables with barbecue sauce at Texas Brisket, Kikuyu  This review has been updated after a number of you suggested I try the brisket at County2County.  What's the best place to have Brisket in Nairobi? What's even brisket?  Brisket is one of the toughest cuts in a cow, from around the belly. It is so tough that it has to be smoked for about 16 hours to tenderise. But that there, is the catch.  12 to 16 hours later, it is the most flavourful and softest cut you will ever have. So full of flavour and so soft you can pick it apart with your fingers.  However, due to the long cooking time involved, only a few places offer brisket in Nairobi.  The best so far is Texas Brisket which is located within Kikuyu Railway station.  They do the meat for a proper 16 hours, and will usually have a fatty or non-fatty portion. The fatty portions are more tasty. A 500 gram serving goes for KSh. 900 and a 1 KG order comes with a serving of fre...

Why Humanity Hasn't Learned From the Covid Pandemic

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic began ravaging the world, succeeding the 1918 flu pandemic.  Many found it unbelievable that despite all the scientific progress that the world has made since 1918, from composite jets to modern healthcare to going to the moon, the world was still susceptible to a pandemic.  Ironically, some of these advancements largely played a role in the spread of the pandemic. Thousands of global flights every hour and air conditioning fanned its spread like a dry wind would in a forest fire.  There was even further disbelief in mid-2020 when it became apparent that many countries were even struggling to keep a pandemic in check. Developed countries, supposed to have the best healthcare, suffered the worst outbreaks amidst disagreements on measures such as quarantines and wearing of masks.  In yet another twist, technology advancement finally came to our rescue with the speedy development of vaccines, including the safe pioneering of never-tried-b...

Lusaka and Livingstone Zambia to Namibia By Road

Zambia is a pretty large country,  an exciting one and with no shortage of potholes.  For instance, take the direct route from Lusaka - Livingstone to Namibia through the Sesheke - Katima Mulilo border crossing. Typically, roads are either good or tend to have potholes here and there. However, the last 120 kilometres of the Livingstone to Sesheke/Katima Mulilo route are best described as potholes dotted by some road here and there for the just thirty kilometres past Kazungula town, which is also the Zambia - Botswana border crossing.  Trying to drive to Sesheke is so bad it will take you anywhere between 4 hours to 6 hours to navigate those 100 kilometres. You may or may not have your dignity at the end and your vehicle may be in more than one piece.  If you really must use the Sesheke - Katima Mulilo crossing as of December 2022, then take the 900 kilometre longer detour from Lusaka to Mongu then back to Katima Mulilo. It doesn't guarantee you absence of potholes, b...