Kenya is set to commence construction of a desalination plant in Likoni, Mombasa County. This is after President Uhuru Kenyatta issued an approval for the county to acquire more than 10 acres of land from the Shimo La Tewa Secondary School to set up the plant.
The plant estimated to cost US $154m, will be the region’s first public desalination plant, and will be constructed by two international companies, Almar Water Solutions of Spain, and Switzerland’s Aqua Swiss.
According to the county government, the plant will pump more than 100,000 cubic metres of water per day, supplying more than 1 million people in the county. Construction will take at least 24 months.
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Water shortage
The project is a boost to Governor Hassan Joho’s plan to purify Indian Ocean water for use by the residents and to address the perennial water shortages in Mombasa, and the huge demand in neighbouring Kilifi County. “We would like to thank the President for the much-needed land at Shimo la Tewa for Mombasa to set up the desalination project and solve the water problem,” said Governor Joho.
Water Executive Fatma Awale attributed the water shortages to inadequate supply from fresh water sources from Kilifi, Kwale and Taita-Taveta counties. “Given the little water we get from the other counties, we can only mitigate this by rationing. The county still shares water with the Standard Gauge Railway line, Kilifi and Malindi residents. Mombasa has no fresh water source and relies on Baricho (Kilifi County), the Tiwi boreholes and Marere Springs in Kwale County, and the Mzima Springs in Taita-Taveta County,” said Fatma Awale.
“The county has made progress towards the development of the first major water desalination plant in East Africa, which will supplement the bulk water supply from the proposed Mwache Dam. We expect it to be up and running by then end of 2021,” Ms Awale added.
