What is the reason for why Unlicensed water sellers blamed as cholera claims lives in Kenyan capital?”
Unlicensed water tankers were on Sunday barred from operating in Nairobi slums to curb the spread of diseases. The move came after 11 people died of cholera in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum at the weekend. Slum dwellers had complained that the tankers were the possible source of contamination. Internal Security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia on Sunday toured Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in Embakasi, together with Nairobi provincial commissioner John Ndirangu and health officials, to assess the situation after the deaths. The water vending business is a tightly controlled venture, closely monitored by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), though unscrupulous operators have decided to deliver the commodity without authorisation. The 5,000-litre and 10,000-litre water tankers charge at most Sh5,000 per delivery within Nairobi. Operators are required to pay Sh10,000 per annum to Nairobi City Council for the permit. “You cannot collect sewage this week and sell water next week from t
Unlicensed water sellers blamed as cholera claims lives in Kenyan capital 26 October 2009 At least 11 people have died following a cholera outbreak in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, with the authorities blaming the spread of the disease on unlicensed water sellers. The deaths occurred in the city’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum. While selling water is a tightly-regulated business in the city, with vendors required to apply for permits from the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), many sidestep the rules as there is a market for cheaper, untested water. It is a large-scale business with dealers selling water by the tanker-load rather than a few bottles here and there. The water sold by the vendors comes from boreholes in the city that are regularly tested and known not to carry cholera, leading the slum-dwellers and officials alike to seek and explanation of where infection is coming from. Officials are blaming operators who use their tankers to collect sewage on week and sell wate
