A significant water supply disruption has hit several parts of Nairobi following a power outage that occurred late Friday night. The Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company announced that the outage led to the failure of a critical transformer at the Gigiri Pumping Station, which is essential for distributing water to large sections of the city.
The power outage, which began at 9:00 PM, left much of the city in darkness until 5:30 AM the next morning. However, when electricity was restored, the 5 MVA 66/3.3 kVA step-down transformer at the Gigiri station failed to re-energize. The Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company has since been working with engineers from the Kenya Power and Lighting Company to diagnose and repair the fault, but the complexity of the issue means that normal water supply may not be restored immediately.
As a result of the transformer failure, several neighborhoods are now experiencing either low water pressure or complete water outages. The Gigiri station is a crucial part of the city’s water infrastructure, responsible for pumping water from the Gigiri reservoir to the Kabete reservoir, which supplies many western parts of Nairobi.
The affected areas include:
- Limuru Road and Surrounding Areas: Parklands, Ngara, Aga Khan Hospital, University of Nairobi School of Law, City Park Area, Gigiri, United Nations – Gigiri, New Muthaiga, Nyali, and Red Hill.
- Naivasha and Kikuyu Roads: Kawangware, Riruta/Satellite, Uthiru, and Ndwaru Road.
- James Gichuru Road, Lang’ata Road, and Waiyaki Way: Riverside, Westlands, Lavington, Kilimani, and Kileleshwa.
- Estates along Lang’ata Road: Madaraka, Karen, Lang’ata, Kibra, and parts of South C Estates.
Residents in these areas have been urged to use the available water sparingly as repairs continue. The Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company has appealed for patience and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused.
“Every effort is being made to restore water supply as quickly as possible,” said the Managing Director of the Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company in a statement. “We understand the disruption this has caused to daily life and are working around the clock to resolve the issue.”
In the meantime, residents are advised to prioritize water use for essential purposes only. The water company has also reminded the public to store water in clean containers and avoid non-essential activities such as car washing and garden watering until the situation normalizes.
This incident underscores the vulnerabilities in Nairobi’s infrastructure, particularly the reliance on a few critical components for essential services like water supply. The failure of the transformer at the Gigiri Pumping Station has had widespread effects, highlighting the need for more resilient infrastructure and backup systems.
As engineers continue to work on the repairs, the Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company has promised to keep the public updated on the progress. Residents are encouraged to stay informed through the company’s official channels to better plan for the ongoing disruption.
The water supply disruption serves as a reminder of the importance of infrastructure resilience in rapidly growing urban centers like Nairobi. Ensuring that essential services are protected against such failures will be crucial for the city’s future stability and growth.
