Nairobi Estates Face 29-Hour Water Shutdown as Maintenance Work Begins

Residents in 14 Nairobi estates will experience a 29-hour water shortage after the Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company announced a temporary shutdown of the Karimenu Transmission Pipeline.

The water shortage from the pipeline shutdown will start on Thursday, November 5,

The water company said the interruption would begin at 3:00 am on Thursday and continue until 8:00 am on Friday, November 6, to allow the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) to carry out scheduled connection works.

In a public notice issued on Wednesday, November 4, Nairobi Water explained that the exercise would involve connecting new pipeline sections to the existing distribution network, requiring a temporary shutdown to allow the work to be completed safely.

Nairobi Water identified three clusters of neighbourhoods that the planned water interruption will affect.

The first cluster covers Kasarani, Mwiki, Clay City, Ruiru, Njiru and surrounding areas.

The second includes Roysambu, Zimmerman, Kahawa Barracks, Kenyatta University and neighbouring areas.

The third cluster comprises Kayole, Komarock, Soweto, Matopeni and their surrounding neighbourhoods.

The shutdown will also affect institutions such as Kenyatta University, which serves thousands of students and staff, and Kahawa Barracks.

As preparations for the shutdown continue, Nairobi Water has encouraged residents in the affected areas to store sufficient water before the interruption begins.

Customers have also been advised to prioritise essential activities such as drinking, cooking and personal hygiene during the outage.

The planned interruption will allow AWWDA to undertake tie-in works on the Karimenu Transmission Pipeline as part of ongoing water infrastructure improvements.

The exercise is linked to the broader Karimau II Dam water supply project, which is expected to improve the reliability of water supply in Nairobi and neighbouring areas.

Nairobi Water said the 29-hour window was necessary to complete the connection works and restore normal pressure across the affected sections of the distribution network.

Water supply is expected to resume by 8:00 am on Friday, November 6, once the works are completed.