Over 25,000 residents of Solio settlement scheme in Laikipia County are set to benefit with water for domestic and irrigation in the next six months after a contractor was handed over the project.
The shillings 143million project funded jointly by Laikipia County government and the Water Sector trust fund will see the scheme that has for long been thirsty will see the lives of the people change positively.
Speaking after the signing of the contract at The Nanyuki Water and sewerage Company who will oversee the implementation, Governor Ndiritu Muriithi noted that the project will supply water to all the seven villages in the scheme.
The pipeline from the intake in Aberdares will be 31 kilometers and a further 50 kilometers for distribution to the villages.
Muriithi said that involving the water company will be a pointer on how the county will be executing water projects to avail technical and managerial expertise to the residents especially the water users associations.
He noted that the ministry of agriculture is also doing a number of dams and water pans in the county with an aim to have enough water for production without depending on rains.
At the same time the governor warned contractors who are awarded contracts and instead of concentrating with the given leave the sites, noting that the project should run according to time and budget given.
He called on those involved to also seek labour from locals instead of shipping in people from other counties to do manual jobs.
Residents of Solio are ones of the most affected people by drought for lack of sufficient water for domestic use and the project will come as a reprieve to them.