Bondo: Residents of Bondo and its environs sighed with relief after a political aspirant provided them with free clean drinking water following weeks without the precious commodity. A political aspirant, Andiwo Mwai, mobilized water boozers to distribute water to villages, institutions, and the town center after taps remained dry due to a hitch in water supply by the local supplier, SIBOWASCO.

According to Kenya News Agency, Mwai's campaign coordinator, Mr. Success Clement, stated that they responded to requests from the public and local institutions who were spending significant amounts of money to obtain water from River Yala or Lake Victoria. Success noted that the distribution exercise, which started on Thursday this week, would continue until water supply to the region is restored or the rains begin.

Clement disclosed that they are capable of supplying about 180,000 liters of water daily to residents at a cost of Sh300,000. He further revealed a distribution schedule designed to provide water to all parts of Bondo on different days to alleviate the ongoing water crisis.

The situation has worsened due to the delayed onset of long rains and extreme temperatures, forcing residents to use unsafe water or purchase it at a high cost of Sh30 per 20-liter jerrican. Success attributed the perennial water shortage in Bondo to poor leadership and urged locals to elect leaders who would resolve the water problem permanently.

Led by Karen Obila, residents of Abindu estate in Bondo expressed gratitude to Mwai for the assistance, mentioning that women have struggled to secure water, often closing their businesses during the day to search for it, affecting them economically. Beneficiaries Grace Odinga and Judith Oyiengo acknowledged Mwai's consistent support with water during dry seasons, while their appeals to Governor Orengo to intervene have gone unanswered, despite water provision being a county government responsibility.

Richard Onono, a resident of Bondo town, highlighted the effect of the water shortage on households and businesses. He urged the county government to consider establishing a water intake in Lake Victoria instead of River Yala, where water levels significantly drop during dry seasons, impacting the water supply to Bondo.