| Work Detail |
In January 2023, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that the much-anticipated Northern Water Collector Tunnel, would officially open on February 25, 2023. President William Ruto was expected to preside over the project’s launch, according to Governor Sakaja, who announced the development. Read also:Sh45 million Shauri Moyo multipurpose dam launched in Kwale, Kenya The project’s launch, according to Governor Sakaja, would put an end to the city’s ongoing water shortage and take care of sanitation challenges. According to Governor Sakaja The northern collector, which had been blocked due to a few issues, was unlocked, and it was expected to be launched on February 25th, 2023. Nairobi will receive 140 million liters of water daily from the Northern Collector Tunnel. Water will be channeled into the Ndaka-ini dam through the tunnel from the rivers Gikigie, Irati, and Mathioya. The French Development Agency is funding the 11.8-kilometer tunnel, which was scheduled to be completed in 2024, but construction began in 2015. The project consists of three components: a tunnel, a treatment facility, and a pipeline linking the latter to Nairobi’s Gigiri reservoir. Nairobi currently uses 790 million liters of water daily, yet only receives 526 million liters from the Ndakaini Dam, leaving a 264 million liter daily shortage. The Nairobi Water Masterplan estimates that by 2035, the city will need 1.2 billion liters of water per day, making the current shortage worse. Nairobi residents have been forced to purchase water from cartels and vendors due to the city’s water shortage. Reported on 19 October 2015
A US$ 743m water collector tunnel to supply water to Nairobi from Muranga
A US$ 743m water collector tunnel will be constructed in Murang’a County, Kenya in an attempt that will see the county supply 140 million litres of water per day to the capital city Nairobi. Athi Water Service Board Chief Executive Officer, Malaquen Milgo confirmed the reports and said that this initiative will aid in the increase of water supply to the Nairobi city residents because according to a Nairobi Water master plan study, in 2035 Nairobi will require 1.2 billion litres of water daily. He explained that water will be drawn from flood flows in Irati, Gikigie and Maragua rivers in Murang’a County and then directed to Thika dam after which the water will be channeled to the new collector tunnel. Part of the work will involve construction of flood water diversion structures on these rivers, as well as laying of pipelines. “We contracted GIBB Africa Ltd to undertake an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment to ensure that only flood water is channelled into the tunnel and that downstream demand is not impacted by the project,” Milgo said. The World Bank funded community project is anticipated to begin in February and will take approximately 3 years to be completed. Reported on August 15, 2021
Northern Water Collector Tunnel to be operational in late 2020
The US $66m World Bank-funded Northern Water Collector Tunnel that is under construction in Murang’a County, is expected to commence its operations by end of the year 2020. The tunnel is touted to solve Nairobi city’s water issues by increasing water supply to the city via Ndakaini dam to a capacity of 140 000m3/day, Athi Water Services Board Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Mwangi Thuita while giving a group of engineers interested in the tunnel technology a tour on the site said that 89% excavation, which accounts to 11.4km out of the entire 12.7km, has been completed and the remaining 1.3km that shall connect Ichichi intake area of Kangema Sub-County to Ndakaini dam will be complete by the end of this year. Eng. Thuita added that after the tunneling work is done, they shall begin construction of a water treatment plant that will cost US $63m; and laying of pipelines from Ndakaini to Nairobi at a cost of US $45m. All this work will take at most one year to be complete. Also Read: Works on Phase 2A Mokolo-Crocodile Water Augmentation Project stalls
The Northern Water Collector Tunnel
The entire Northern Water Collector Tunnel project involves construction of river intake structures at Maragua, Gikie and Irati rivers plus construction of access adits at Gikigie, Irati and Kaanja. It also embroils construction of a fully concrete lined 11km long, 3.0 diameter main water tunnel from Maragua intake to Githika outfall. The tunneling technology used shall not interfere with aquifers nor have any seepage of water. The tunnel is set to collect only flood water from the three rivers and it shall therefore not interfere with normal flow of the rivers. Nevertheless, the project includes construction of the high level water treatment plant at Kigoro and laying of pipelines from Ndakaini to Nairobi.
Other program components
Other program components include construction of Murang’a and Kiambu County community water supply projects to ensure the host communities also benefit. A Nairobi city water distribution network will be constructed as well to ensure equitable distribution, and lastly, improvement of water services in Nairobi Satellite towns within Kiambu and Kajiado counties. |
