Serious complaints have been raised by the management of the Likii Water Resources Users Association over the infringement and promotion of illegal water abstraction activities from the River by a neighbouring WRUA.
The Likii WRUA management, led by its chairperson Mr. Julius Kirinya, has serious claims that the neighbouring WRUA (through a section of its leadership) have illegally developed a water abstraction program that constitutes over 50 individual farmers within the Likii sub-catchment who have permission to abstract water for an average of 10 hours per day.
This is worrying. Nanyuki WRUA has no authority or jurisdiction on the Likii River. Adding insult to injury, the members of the Nanyuki WRUA have proceeded with their illegal abstraction without any approval from the Water Resources Authority.
Mr. Julius Kirinya, while presenting the complaint to the WRA offices, confirmed they have sufficient information that the WRUA in question is indeed guilty as charged. His management team could provide evidence if called upon to do so. Highlighting that if such actions are not dealt with early enough, they could lead to serious environmental degradation as well as majorly affect the river flows of the Likii River and her residents.
Likii WRUA has drafted a complaint letter to WRA through the advisory support of the Mount Kenya Ewaso Water Partnership.
The Regional Water Resources Authority has so far assured Likii River WRUA Management that the Authority will take action against the WRUA in question.
Mr. Mworia, the county sub-regional manager for the WRA, added that the Authority also requires that stakeholders are involved in the process and as such no one is allowed to make water resource management decisions on their own. A “Water Use Permit” is used to carry out this function.
Likii Water Resources Association has been mandated to manage the water resources within the Likii Sub-catchment covering an area of 182km2 from Mt. Kenya to the confluence with the Nanyuki River. The WRUA members include community water projects, large-scale flower farms and a water services provider that are duly permitted to abstract water from Likii River and or its tributaries upon approval from the Water Resources Authority.
Even under these challenging times of Covid 19 and with scant resources, the Likii WRUA continues to work hard towards promoting sustainable water resource management and to ensure compliance with the water regulations and other requirements as contained in their water permits.
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