The Economic Justice Forum has demanded the immediate disbandment of Tavevo Water and Sewerage Company, accusing the Taita Taveta county utility firm of failing residents despite the region hosting major water sources that supply the wider coastal belt.
Economic Justice Forum Chairman Christopher Mwambingu declared that Tavevo has completely failed in its mandate and should be scrapped. Citing poor service delivery and consistently inflated bills, Mwambingu backed ongoing proposals for the Taveta Sub-county to break away and establish its own independent water company to better serve its local population.
The chairman heavily criticized local leadership and regional water infrastructure, stating that successive administrations have lacked the courage to abolish the utility. He described Tavevo as being on life support, alleging that residents are frequently billed for “air” instead of actual water flow. He further noted that the Coast Water Works Development Agency has similarly failed, calling it a criminal offence that Taveta is blessed with abundant water resources while its people go thirsty.
Mwambingu urged both the national and county governments to heavily invest in local infrastructure to end the perennial shortages. He noted that it is unacceptable for residents to suffer from acute water scarcity when key regional lifelines such as Mzima Springs, River Lumi, Njoro Springs, and Lake Jipe are all located right within the county boundaries.
The severity of the crisis is underscored by data from the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, which revealed that only 36.1 percent of households in Taita Taveta have access to piped water. Meanwhile, an estimated 15 percent of the population still relies directly on untreated water drawn from rivers and streams.
Mwambingu lamented the deep irony of the situation, pointing out that local residents continue to cry for water while major channels like Rivers Lumi, Njoro, and Chala flow right through their backyards. He called for immediate collaboration between the two levels of government to pipe water from these local sources, alongside Mzima Springs, for both domestic and agricultural use.
Outlining a potential roadmap for the region, Mwambingu stated that any decisive leadership would prioritize water infrastructure within its first two financial years. He emphasized that piping water directly from the county’s diverse springs and rivers is the only sustainable way to address the crisis, while still honoring external commitments like Mzima Springs’ supply to Mombasa.
The crisis in Taita Taveta reflects a broader regional challenge. The Coast region currently faces a combined daily water shortfall of 327,000 cubic metres, with the existing supply meeting just 42 percent of the total demand across Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta counties.
