GARISSA—Garissa governor has challenged the Majority Leader Aden Duale to use his influence to settle sh 22.6 million water bill the national government owes to the local water agency.
Speaking at Dertu Girls Secondary School on Tuesday during a ceremony to hand over a bus to the school, governor Nathif Jama’a said Garissa Township MP should concentrate to clear the bill.
“He claims that he’s powerful and influential and we challenge him to settle this (sh 22.6 million) bill,” the governor said.
Nathif said the Garissa Water and Sewarage Company (GAWASCO) is bedeviled by two challenges: rapid expansion of the town and the sh 22.6 million owed by the National government institution by the company.
“Let him not count on me when the county runs into deep trouble,” Duale responded when he spoke to Kulan Post on the phone.
“The National government wired 9 billion to the Garissa County Government and 36 billion since 2013.
“How come Garissa town residents are still thirsty,” the Garissa Township MP asked.
He called on the county government to act tough on the institutions that fail to clear their bills, saying that even the residents suffer water cuts under similar conditions.
“If it’s true that the National government agencies are not paying their bills, why is GAWASCO not taking actions because when the local man fails to clear the water bill, he faces stiff penalties and water cuts,” Duale noted.
However, the governor noted that Duale was frustrating the operation of the GAWASCO saying that he kept demanding for the sacking of the top officials at the water company.
“Since I came to power, Duale has insisted that I sack top officials at the GAWASCO,” Nathif said.
“Yussuf Mohamed Dictor has lost his job and now he want Shamsa and Jimmy to go,” the governor added.
“Don’t believe when they say GAWASCO is not a performer. It’s performing at its best and it will be here to stay,” Nathif insisted.
