Residents of Nairobi’s informal settlements including Mukuru, Kibera, Mathare and Kawangware are set to enjoy improved access to clean water and sanitation as the County Government rolls out a modern, simplified sewer system designed to serve densely populated areas more efficiently.
Governor Sakaja Johnson says the project, implemented through the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), is part of a wider plan to improve hygiene and dignity in low-income neighborhoods.
“Through our water company, we have constructed a three-kilometer simplified sewer line in Mukuru Kwa Reuben, connecting close to 10,000 households translating to about 80,000 residents. These are people who never had the opportunity to access clean water before,” Sakaja confirmed .
For years, residents in informal settlements have relied on illegal water connections, leading to frequent disruptions and contamination. Sakaja said the new system will not only streamline water supply but also reduce losses from unlawful tapping.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) and the African Water Facility (AWF) under the broader Nairobi Sanitation Programme. It aims to deliver affordable, safer water and sanitation solutions to underserved areas.
Once completed, Sakaja noted, the network will significantly reduce cases of waterborne diseases while improving environmental hygiene.
“We are addressing the challenge of poor sanitation in informal areas by selling water affordably and expanding our network using locally available technology,” he said.
Nairobi Water Chief Officer Oscar Omoke described the initiative as a major milestone in the county’s efforts to modernize water infrastructure in informal settlements.
“The simplified sewer system is cheaper, easier to install, and more adaptable to the dense layout of settlements compared to traditional systems. That’s why we’ve prioritized these areas,” Omoke explained.
The county is also banking on an additional 140 million litres of water per day from the recently completed Northern Collector Tunnel, which has boosted Nairobi’s total supply from 525 million litres daily improving both water pressure and delivery frequency across the city.
Areas already receiving steady water from the Nothern collector tunnel include South B, South C, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Pangani, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Racecourse, Gikomba, Juja Road, Mathare, Huruma, Kariobangi North and South, Umoja, Donholm, Tassia, Fedha, Nyayo Embakasi, and Embakasi Village.
From the Kabete reservoir, water is reaching high-demand zones such as Westlands, Parklands, Upper Hill, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Dagoretti, Eastleigh, Lang’ata, Mountain View, Naivasha Road, Ngando, and parts of Karen.
Governor Sakaja is scheduled to commission the new Lang’ata Water Project in the coming weeks.
The project is expected to end the long-standing water challenges faced by Lang’ata residents, who have been underserved for many years.
