Dams that supply water to Nairobi and its metropolitan areas have filled up with water ending the long period of dry taps.
Although the rains have come with bad news for most people across the country, many in Nairobi are busy harvesting the blessings in every drop of the precious commodity.
Months of hot and dry weather had raised concerns among residents of Nairobi and the surrounding areas like Kitengela, Athi River, Rongai and Machakos.
Many families were forced to change neighbourhoods in search of water. Others who could not move were forced to dig deeper into their pockets to afford water.
“Many people who had moved to houses that had boreholes, were suddenly leaving in droves as they sought houses that had piped water,” John Otieno, a caretaker in Nyamavilla estate told Wananchi Reporting.
According to John, most houses were left empty as families moved to estates where they could get water – even if it was only for a few days a week.
“At the moment, people have at least some water, and the boreholes are already filling up,” says John – noting that many tenants seeking accommodation, especially families, would always ask about availability of water before deciding to take a house or not.
At the moment, some residents of Nairobi have resorted to physically tapping rain water falling from the sky.
“You will find empty buckets lined on the ground floors of most houses, some left overnight just in case it rains when people are already asleep,” says Mama Priscah.
She, however, lamented about theft of water taking place.
“The other week I left my bucket at the ground floor of our rental flat, only to come back hours later to find it gone, plus the water that had collected,” she says.
Most landlords and other home owners in Nairobi rely on boreholes for water.
However, the high temperatures and the corresponding demand for water in Nairobi and its surroundings had seen landlords pump too much water out of their boreholes.
Residents of Nairobi are now asking the county government to develop structures to harvest the millions of litres of rainwater for future use.
“If we harvest this water properly, then it can help in the future, when there is drought,”says John.
