The building of a 4km Ruaka trunk sewer line through the 2,572 acres of Karura Forest has begun. According to the Athi Water Works Development Agency, the initiative is part of the government’s Vision 2030, which aims to improve sanitation and also provide adequate water supply in metropolitan areas.
According to the EPA, the sewage line gathers and transmits water upstream in Ruaka and Runda communities, successfully lowering water pollution in the Ruaka River while assuring downstream access to clean water.
Ruaka Sewer Line Development
According to AWWDA, a project monitoring team of Kenya Forest Service and Friends of Karura has been formed to preserve and assure ongoing compliance. Ruaka and its surrounding areas have experienced rapid population increase and changes in land-use patterns, which have resulted in Ruaka River pollution.
According to the organization, to maximize the number of persons serviced, sewage networks have been restricted along natural drainage regions to ensure gravity flow and minimize costly pumping. Because of the nature of gravity, the Ruaka sewer trunk alignment was chosen to allow for simple flow while still protecting the river from pollutants.
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Karura Forest is located on the outskirts of Nairobi. It is one of the world’s largest gazetted urban woods, covering 2,572 acres. The woodland is home to virtually all of Nairobi’s 605 species of animals, including three varieties of antelope. KFS is in charge of it. It is a 20-minute drive from the Nairobi CBD and has two entrances, one on Kiambu Road and the other on Limuru Road.
Wangari Maathai battled against the taking of the forest, which earned her several honors. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
May 2020
Construction of Kiambu-Ruaka water supply and sewerage project in Kenya kicks off
Construction work of the Kiambu-Ruaka water supply and sewerage project in Kenya has kicked off according to Sicily Kariuki, the country’s Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary.
The project was awarded to China Henan International Cooperation Group Co., Ltd by the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) and the construction work involves the rehabilitation of the existing Kiambu wastewater treatment plant, the construction of 108 kilometers of the trunk and reticulation sewers covering areas of Kiambu and Ruaka, the construction of 25 kilometers water distribution network, the construction of four ablution blocks, the drilling of six boreholes with 48m3 pressed steel tanks and 450 last-mile household connections.
Expected to be complete by July 2021, the over US$ 12M project is being funded by the African Development Bank and it is a part of the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program.
The Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program
This is a program by the national government with which it aims to provide fast-growing towns such as Ruaka, Kiambu, Kikuyu, Limuru, Machakos, Kisumu, Narok, Kakamega, Eldoret, Marsabit, Changamwe, Kitui, Watamu, and Nanyuki among others, with sustainable water and sewerage systems to cater for their growing populations.
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On a national scale, the Program will provide more than 2.1 million people with reliable and sustainable water supply services and more than 1.3 million people with water and sewerage systems. Additionally, the program will create more than 15,000 new jobs during and after its implementation.
The expectation for the Kiambu-Ruaka water supply and sewerage project
The areas around Kiambu and Ruaka have never had sewer connections before according to Cabinet Secretary Kariuki, regardless of their growing population, especially Ruaka which has been expanding in terms of population as more people move from the rural areas to settle in the town.
Upon completion, the Kiambu-Ruaka water supply and sewerage project is expected to benefit over 100,000 residents living in and around these areas.
