REMARKS BY H.E.

DR EVANS KIDERO, NAIROBI CITY COUNTY GOVERNOR AT THE LAUNCH OF WORKS AT NJIRU-MWIKI SEWER LINE ON 18TH MARCH 2014 It is a privilege and a delight to be here to mark a progressive step in launching the Rehabilitation of Njiru-Mwiki sewer line that has costed KShs. 70-million to complete. I am more encouraged that as stakeholders we can come together for purpose of meeting our core mandate in service provision to residents of Nairobi County. Let me start by reminding ourselves that our mandate in water and sewerage provision is to ensure that service delivery in the water sector meets the efficiency intended to replicate other cities. Its no secret that Nairobi is a renowned regional and international hub and we must ensure the services attached to water and sanitation meet levels that is expected by our status. Nairobis contribution to Kenyas GDP is at 60 percent, this means that the achievement of Kenyas development blueprint, Vision 2030, which include the water sector depends fundamentally on what happens in our capital City. So it should not escape our minds that water and sewerage services are an integral part of this vision. Nairobi City residents should also know that our commitment to improvement of our services is ongoing and I recently launched a task force to evaluate the transitional mechanisms for the provision of water and sanitation services where we aim to find a long term solutions that will meet our customers expectations. It is appreciated that we may be a few steps back in ensuring water and sewerage services are at acceptable levels but I can assure the City residents that with the combined efforts and zeal to progress we shall leap towards the expected level of service. We are thriving in the new dispensation and we are expected to interpret this dispensation for a smooth transition in the water sector. Re-organization is not a new term but a different way of doing things. This in simple terms is dynamism and it is expected that those we serve will see a difference in the way water and sanitation services are rendered.

To this end, I am pleased to report that the County Government will continue to seek avenues of achieving its goals of water and sewer provision to the County residents and the continued investments in service delivery is a testament that we are living up to our obligations to the customer. Let me also say that I am well aware that the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company has to grapple with overloaded and inadequate sewer infrastructure as a result of growth in development and a slow sewer network expansion but we are working to ensure all such challenges are addressed. The assurance of continued service delivery will entail continuous improvement to make it possible for poorer households to obtain adequate amounts of safe water in their homes; reducing leakages, bursts and malpractices in water connections; providing suitable facilities, such as discharge channels with easy access points to improve connectivity to the sewer mains. I must point out that the rehabilitation of this sewer line we launch today has led to the reduction of environmental pollution downstream of the river which if not done would continue to cause far reaching consequences. Remember the river is a livelihood for many others downstream. I note there were various challenges in commencing the works and I must point out that commendable efforts were put into the rehabilitation as the collapsed sector had four columns, but it saddens me to note that despite the heavy rains that could have caused the collapsing of the structure, the failure could also be attributed to illegal quarrying activities that have been going on for a long period of time. I urge our stakeholders and in particular at NEMA to assist in curbing such detrimental activities to ensure the same does not recur. Lastly, I wish to commend all the efforts put towards the restoration of the Njiru-Mwiki trunk sewer line and congratulate all the players for work well done and reiterate my commitment and confidence in all key stakeholders that the water and sanitation services within Nairobi County will soon be a beacon of service delivery. It is now my pleasure to officially declare the Njiru-Mwiki Trunk sewer line launched and operational.
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Thank you. Dr. Evans Kidero Governor- Nairobi County