Migori town residents on Friday at the Water department offices during the ’empty jerrycan’ demonstration over three months shortage.

By MN Reporter

Migori residents today staged a peaceful demonstration over lack of water in the County over unpaid electricity bill.

This is after missing water in their taps for the last three months over a ksh. 4.5 million electricity bill owed to Kenya Power.

The residents drawn from the small scale traders, members of the people’s assembly and the fish mongers led by their chairman Mr.  Tobias Omino and Secretary  Kennedy Odongo matched peacefully to the Ministry of Water offices to push the county Government to pay the bill.

The demonstrators claimed that the pending electricity bill had stalled the pumping of water into the water pipes and creating a water crisis since last month.

“We were at the county offices where they told us they had paid the bill and water was to come back to the taps on Friday by 9am, we were not shown the receipts and we are still thirsty,” Omino said.

County revenue officers on duty were forced to flee for their lives as the demonstrators carrying empty jerrycans marched through Migori town.

“The officials thought our threat was empty, but when they knew we were coming they closed their offices and ran away. We will be back for similar demonstrations on Monday,” Omino said.

The demostrators said alternative water sources had dried up following the biting drought experienced in the county for close to two months.

On Thursday a meeting called by Migori water executive member Rebecca Maroa with traders to find a solution to the impasse failed to take off.

The residents now live in fear of an impending outbreak of water related illnesses from unclean water.

Migori County is serviced by water from a ksh 1.2 billion water project by African Development Bank handed over to the County government in 2014.

The project, which came with 15 water kiosks, can produce over 2 million liters of clean water daily to serve over 200,000 residents.

On Monday Donald Jaleny the Chief Officer in the water department said the delay from funds disbursement from national government caused the shortage, and pledged the problem will be solved.

When contacted for comment on Friday, Maroa said through a text that she was in a meeting and won’t comment on when the water will be back or any action to be taken to avoid Monday demonstrations.

The residents vowed to continue with the protests on a weekly basis until Migori leadership headed to their cry and settled the bill.