"Governor, this is dead": CS Mugaa shreds Wanga's water project in her presence
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Water CS Eric Mugaa flagged serious technical failures at the Oyugis Water Supply Project during a joint inspection with Governor Gladys Wanga
- Mugaa told engineers the facility's sand filters had never been changed since commissioning and were too clogged to filter any water
- Governor Wanga warned that failure to fix the problems could cost Homa Bay 12 million litres of water and trigger a dispute with Oyugis residents
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa has publicly condemned the operational state of the Oyugis Water Supply Project in Homa Bay County, declaring the facility "dead" during a joint inspection conducted alongside Governor Gladys Wanga.
The visit was part of the launch of the Oyugis and Kendu Bay Last Mile Connectivity, bringing together national and county government officials to assess progress under the Intergovernmental Coordination Framework for water service delivery.
CS Mugaa's technical findings
During the inspection, Mugaa identified critical failures in the water treatment process, telling those present that the facility's sand filters had become so clogged they were incapable of cleaning any water.
He pointed out that the filters had not had their sand replaced since the plant was first commissioned, a situation he described as unacceptable.
"This is clogged. It can't filter anything," Mugaa said, directing his remarks at the engineers present.
He added that the water was being filtered at one point only to become contaminated again further down the system, rendering the entire process ineffective.
The CS also criticised the way the facility was managed in wet weather, telling engineers they were adding the wrong quantities of chemicals relative to turbidity levels when it rained.
"Any engineer will tell you this is wrong," he said bluntly.
Mugaa told Wanga to bring in a more experienced operator immediately.
"How many filters are there? These filters have a problem, and it has been barely two years. Governor, get an experienced operator. I'm telling you, you will kill this. This is dead; you see, this thing has never been backwashed. They have never changed the sand since it was commissioned," he said," he said, before calling on a technical official named Agwanda to step in and provide hands-on support to the facility's staff.
He recommended that a qualified engineer spend at least one week on-site training the team before the plant's condition deteriorated beyond recovery.
Wanga warns of water loss and community conflict
Governor Wanga, who was present throughout the inspection, questioned her team directly about why parts of the facility had ceased functioning.
She subsequently warned that if the problems went unresolved, Homa Bay county stood to lose 12 million litres of water and risked igniting a conflict with residents of Oyugis over water access.
Mugaa, who acknowledged that Wanga may not have been across the technical details, said he would not ignore what he had observed.
The inspection underscored the need for closer coordination between national and county governments on infrastructure management, particularly where major public utilities are concerned.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.