By Khalifa Hemed
Published September 19, 2020

1.8 billion people live without access to safe water and 2.4 billion others lack adequate sanitationDid you know that you can be fined or jailed if your building doesn’t come with water-harvesting and storage infrastructure?

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A new law that requires developers of residential and commercial buildings in Kajiado County on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to equip their investment with water-harvesting and storage facilities like gutters and tanks, has gone into force

The new Kajiado Water Harvesting Bill that has now been signed into law by Joseph ole Lenku, the Governor of Kajiado County, requires all building plans to have water harvesting and storage facilities factored in them before they can be approved.The County Government shall then issue certificates of compliance to completed buildings after inspection.

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What happens to existing buildings without water harvesting and storage equipment? Are they off the hook?

Olkeri residents have to rbuy water after China Civil and KeRRA destroyed their water supply linesEvery building must comply, the County Government says.

While existing buildings have been given 18 months to comply, those already under construction have been given a grace period of three months.

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Sounds good, doesn’t it?

The penalty for defying the Water Harvesting law is a fine of Sh100 000 for commercial buildings and Sh50 000 for residential buildings or six months imprisonment.

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Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA), in its monthly newsletter, reports that the County Government of this Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) region has pledged to ‘provide financial assistance to resident associations, schools, hospitals and charitable institutions to establish the infrastructure.’

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