This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
Kitui County is facing a severe water crisis, with thousands of households trekking for tens of kilometres in search of water essential in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the illegal sand harvesting has worsened the water scarcity in the arid county, citing extensive environmental degradation and depletion of water resources.
NEMA's County Director, Njoki Mukiri, stated that they were aware of the ongoing sand trade despite a ban imposed by the County Government in 2018.
Speaking in Kitui on Thursday, Mukiri emphasized that the County Environmental Committee will stop sand harvesting in a bid to find a long-lasting solution to make it sustainable.
Residents of Nduumoni and Kwa Masesi in Kitui Central have protested against the illegal sand harvesting in Tiva River, claiming that it has threatened the ecosystem and their only source of water.
Locals alleged that cartels were conniving with some families to conduct the illegal sand trade, causing environmental degradation and a serious decline in water levels.
Patrick Ndolo, a resident, stated that the unbridled sand mining had led to extensive degradation of the riverbed, which the community depends on for water for both domestic use and irrigation farming.
Residents have asked the authorities to strictly enforce the existing ban on sand trade and ensure that the culprits are punished.
They also blamed the county government for failing to enforce the ban, leading to pollution of the river bed reaching unprecedented levels.
