Thirsty nutritionists at KMTC go without bathing - but there's food!

Thirst and more thirst, is what students from the Kenya Medical Training College in Karen Campus are grappling with. A continuous water shortage has hit the college’s school of nutrition and is now affecting learning in the institution. The ‘drought’ that started right at the start of the semester in September seems to show no signs of alleviating, making the life of about 200 students at the facility almost unbearable. Reportedly, the institution consulted a leading borehole company to help solve the water problem. The company is said to have quoted Sh70,000 for their services, a figure the administration rejected as too high. Now the students have to contend with having water twice a week that is bought by the administration.

Some claim this could be a ploy to fleece the institution, as official communication indicates that water is delivered three times a week. When contacted for comments, the Deputy Director of Academic Affairs, Franklin Okonji, said the college buys water three times a week from Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) at a price of Sh3,000 per tank. The college principal, Eliezer Odidi, said the college will procure four water tanks each with a capacity of 10,000 litres to alleviate the problem. He reiterated that NWSC delivers water three times a week, disclosing that a company contracted to repair the system was expected to start working in the first week of the semester, but was faced with technical challenges. “In the beginning, we bought water from vendors, but are now being supplied by NWSC,” says Odidi. Our sources at the institution, however, said water is only brought twice a week. An official at the college said an assessment to the borehole found leaking pipes and damaged cables, and that about Sh300,000 has so far been spent in attempts to ensure the pump is working. What now remains is for the pipes and cables to be replaced

“Female students in this institution are having a hard time because sometimes they go without bathing. You know they are not like us men who can go for days without bathing, provided there is food!” said one student. A source who declined to be named said, “The same water delivered here is also used in the kitchen to prepare meals for the students, leading to serious shortage.”