WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT LOSING BILLIONS FROM ITS CUSTOMERS.

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT LOSING BILLIONS FROM ITS CUSTOMERS.

JANE MUGAMBI 13TH DEC 2011.

Mwea rice farmers owe Water Resource management Authority(WRMA) over 1 billion shillings.

According to Philip Olum the CEO, said that farmers in Mwea have for a very long time not paid for the water that they use.

He said that in there case, they are taking National Irrigation Board at task to pay the money since it is the body that is responsible for the management of water in the area.

“I am taking up the issue with NIB since they are the permit holders” added Olum.

He also added that the government should chip in and give the criteria of how the debt is going to be paid before they (WRMA) moves to court.

Olum said that for over 8 years the company has been losing money through debts from the water sources, Nairobi, Kengen where it they moved to court to have the companies pay their debts.

The CEO said that the money that is paid will be used to build a dam which will be used for irrigation in Nyanza,Taita, Isiolo where they will extend all over the country even in the flooding areas to avert people being displaced by water and deaths.

“We are going to construct a dam that will act as a water reservoir to minimize flooding and people from being displaced” added the CEO.

He said that through Community based Organizations where the company has set aside 25 million for conservation of the environment in various parts of the country.

He said that the agenda is aimed at reduction of soil erosion, degradation and encourage the activities that are being done in relation to the management of the forest.

“The money given is to divert the attention of the community from destroying the forest” he added.

In September the company took a step of closing all water supplying channels to Mwea over the 1 billion debt.

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