Residents of Nairobi's Mukuru slums are set to enjoy cheap water prices after the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company introduced a water token system.
NMS has already built 10 water stations across the slum which are set to ease the water burden experienced in the estate. Residents of Mukuru kwa Reuben are set to be the pioneer beneficiaries of the project.
NMS Director for Water and Sanitation Stephen Githinji stated that the project will ensure dwellers of Nairobi's informal settlements and low income earners to access clean water at cheap prices.
He noted that the token system will enable the residents to pay for only the amount of water they need.
The tokens once bought will be entered into the machines at the designated stations, facilitating access to water.
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"The tokens are being sold at 50 cents per 20 litres. Once residents are given the chip, they will insert it into a gadget at the water stations which will automatically release the amount of water the resident requested for," Githinji said.
Nairobi City is known for the notorious and persistent water problems, and since 2017, the capital has experienced water rationing at its best with slum dwellers the most affected.
According to a report by Business Daily on August 17, Nairobi residents consume over 810,000 cubic meters per day. This exceeds the existent production capacity of 525,600 cubic meters by 284,400 cubic meters.
In the height of the water crisis, vendors have made the sale of water a cash cow with 20 litres of water going for more than Ksh20.
Githinji stated that the project will reduce the long queues at boreholes and lorries supplying water provided by NMS.
NMS and Nairobi Water will monitor operations at the water stations remotely.
“With the water token system, we don’t need many people to man the station. Only one officer will be in charge to serve the consumers,” Githinji said.
