Events

THEME: WATER AND ENERGY

On marking the World Water Day 2014, TNC, KENGEN and Nairobi Water Company hosted the event in collaboration with Sustainable Agriculture Community Development Programmes (SACDEP), CBOs and Schools to celebrate this day at water sources close to Ndaka-ini dam in the Upper Tana watershed and GBM as a partner was invited to join the local community in conservation work.

Ngethu Water Treatment Plant:

The event started at the Nairobi water company Ngethu water treatment plant where the participants were taken through the water purification process by Mr. Mwenda the plant engineer who explained that Raw Water is drawn from Rivers Chania, Kiama   and Kimakia into Ndakaini Dam and water then released to Ngethu Treatment plant. We noted that there were no pumps and that water flowed into the intake tunnels by gravity into a distribution chamber in the plant’s raw water building. Vertical pumps then draw the water through a series of traveling screens, which prevent large debris, such as fish and seaweed, from entering the system. It is then pumped to the main treatment plant to begin the treatment process.

We were informed that Water quality is strictly monitored at the NCWSC laboratories to make sure the water is safe and clean to drink. On completion of the treatment process water then is released to Gigiri main storage at 20 million liters per hour.

Mwagu Water Intake:

The group proceeded to Kiarutara where they visited ‘Mwagu water intake area’ where farmers are working to reduce erosion getting into river Chania and to the Nairobi waters main intake at Mwagu.

At the Kiarutara area they met a group of women called ’Mwireri Magomano group.’  The group has a membership of 30 women and was established in 1990 whose main activities include goat rearing, rabbit rearing and dairy cattle, merry go round, and table banking.

The group is a member of SACDEP and they have trained the women on some agricultural practices and they are currently carrying out digging of trenches which is a special technique called the “Fanya Juu” system of terraces where they plant nappier grass and a row of trees to curb soil erosion. Here the group dug 1 Fanya Juu terrace and planted 10 trees. 

Kimandi Secondary School:

The school is located in Gatanga and is one of the schools that is in collaboration with SACDEP and TNC. Here the group and partners planted 10 trees to mark the day and also to kick start the rainy season tree planting. GBM demonstrated the 3R concept of the Mottainai campaign and also identify key areas of capacity building and training for students and teachers of Kimandi Secondary school.   The Patron of the Wildlife club – Ms. Esther Nyambura Njiiri expressed her interest in becoming a member of GBM. 

The wildlife club at the school main focus is environmental conservation through tree planting, where the patron plans to establish a tree nursery for the school. GBM recommend that she participates at the ‘Training for Rural Women as Natural resource managers’ at Lang’ata Learning Centre in July.  

THIKA DAM (NDAKAINI)

The dam was established in 1988 by the Kenya Government which acquired approximately 1200 acres of land from residents of the area to create space for the construction of Ndakaini dam to supply portable water to the residents of Nairobi city and its environs. The dam covers about 600 acres of land when full and holds a capacity of 70,000,000m3

The Dam’s catchment area measures 75 square Kilometer. It consists of Kimakia and Gatare Natural forest which form Aberdare Ranges. The main rivers that drain into the Dam from this catchment are Thika, Githika and Kayuyu.

In his closing remarks Mr Fred Kihara of TNC  and Mr. JJ of SACDEP  promised to  distribute 4,000 tree seedlings for this rainy season to Kimandi secondary school and 1000 seedlings to Mwireri women group in kiarutara.