5-Day Water Shutdown to Disrupt Nairobi Supply from April 6

Nairobi city water and sewerage company HQ

Water supply will be interrupted across large parts of Nairobi from Monday, April 6, after a major shutdown of a key system to allow completion of ongoing infrastructure works.

In a public notice, the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company said the disruption will run from 6am on April 6 to 6am on April 11, affecting households, institutions and businesses.

The utility explained that the Athi Water Works Development Agency will temporarily shut down the Northern Collector Tunnel One system to facilitate the final phase of works linking the Kigoro Water Treatment Plant to Gigiri and Kabete reservoirs.

According to the company, the shutdown is necessary to operationalise and conclude all contractual works under the project, which is expected to improve water supply once complete.

“These works will interrupt water supply to several areas across the city,” the utility stated, adding that the closure of the Northern Collector Tunnel One system is critical for completion of the project.

Several estates in Westlands, including Riverside and Parklands, will be affected alongside parts of Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani and Hurlingham.

The University of Nairobi and customers along Mamlaka Road and Valley Road have also been listed among areas that will experience the outage.

In western parts of the city, estates in Dagoretti such as Kawangware, Kabiria, Waithaka and Dagoretti Market will go without water, alongside Uthiru, Mutuini and Gatina.

Parts of Upper Hill, Kenyatta National Hospital, KEMRI offices and Jamhuri estate will also be affected during the five-day shutdown.

Informal settlements in Kibera, including Makina, Kianda, Lindi and Olympic, are also expected to face water shortages.

Lang’ata areas such as Southlands, Madaraka, Nairobi West, and areas along Lang’ata Road, Karen and Bogani will also be impacted.

The interruption will further affect the Central Business District, South B and South C, industries along Mombasa Road, as well as key facilities including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Standard Gauge Railway.

Other affected areas include Eastleigh, Gikomba, Pumwani, Buruburu phases three and four, Mathare North, Huruma and parts of Thome and Baba Dogo.

The company said the entire Industrial Area will also be without water during the period.

Acting Managing Director Martin Nang’ole appealed to residents to bear with the inconvenience, urging them to use available water sparingly.

“We appeal to our customers for indulgence and urge them to use the available water sparingly as we work towards restoring supply,” he said.

He added that the company regrets the inconvenience caused, noting that normal supply will resume once the works are complete.

Residents have been advised to store enough water in advance to cushion themselves against the disruption, which is expected to significantly affect daily activities across the capital.