US $400,000 sewer line is set to be constructed in Kitengela Kajiado county Kenya following claims of adverse health caused by lack of a sewerage system in the populous town.
The project which aims at improving hygiene and sanitation in the area, will be funded by residents comprising 286 landlords from Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) area under the umbrella of Kitengela EPZ neighbouring community sewer line project.
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Sewer line project
The sewer line stretches along 45km to join EPZA Athi River Sewerage system in the neighboring Machakos County. It has already received approvals from National Environment Management Authority (Nema) and a letter of no objection from the county government will run in three phases is expected to be complete in one year.
“We have held consultative meetings with all concerned stakeholders until we successfully got an approval after the feasibility study. Landlords interested settled on a monthly contribution from their rent payments towards the project while some homeowners gave their own financial support. Nobody has been forced to contribute any money; it’s their own will and willingness to support the initiative,” said secretary-general of the project, Mr Titus Ndei Njari.
It will benefit over 300 rental flats with a population of more than 20,000 tenants and 100 homes in the area and is set to commence in three months’ time. The populous Kitengela town at large depends on septic tanks which have become very expensive to empty with most rental plots having an overflow of sewer water.
Homes pay at least US $145, commercial plots US $261 and flats pay up to US $1442 monthly on exhaust services. The sewage issue has exposed residents to water borne diseases as landlords lament that the cost of emptying the liquid waste was becoming unbearable. However upon completion of the project, beneficiaries will pay a small flat rate maintenance fee not exceeding US $48.
