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BONDO, SIAYA COUNTY — What was meant to be a transformative road project in Bondo has spiralled into a full-blown crisis after more than 1,300 residents were left without clean drinking water, sparking protests and a hardline community ultimatum: no water, no road.
The construction of the Koyucho–Uloma–River Yala road by Tosh Holdings Ltd, under the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), has ruptured SIBOWASCO’s main water distribution pipeline in multiple sections, cutting off a critical lifeline to homes, schools, and businesses.
Now, with taps running dry and frustration boiling over, residents have vowed to halt the project until their water supply is fully restored.
In Uloma and surrounding villages, daily life has been upended. Families now walk up to 1.5 kilometres to River Yala in search of untreated water, carrying it home in buckets and jerrycans.
“We woke up to dry taps and broken pipes,” said Mary Achieng’, a mother of four. “Our children are missing school just to fetch water. How do we cook, clean, or even stay healthy? We cannot drink promises.”
Her frustration is echoed across Koyucho and Masita, where community elders accuse the contractor of reckless excavation carried out without consultation or planning.
“They knew this pipeline serves homes and schools,” an elder said. “But they dug without notice, without mapping. Now they want to continue with the road while we suffer. We have said enough is enough—no repair, no road works.”
At the heart of the standoff is what residents and local leaders describe as a blatant failure to follow the law.
Under Section 76 of the Water Act, 2016, infrastructure developers are required to consult licensed water service providers before interfering with existing systems. In this case, no proper coordination appears to have taken place.
Even more striking, the KeRRA contract for the project explicitly provides for the relocation of utility services—a safeguard that was never activated.
The result is a crisis that experts say was entirely avoidable.
The consequences are already severe and cascading:
– Public health is at risk, with at least three public schools and hundreds of households now relying on untreated river water, exposing them to waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
– Businesses and essential services are disrupted, with shops, clinics, and institutions along Malanga Road, Kabware, Usoto, and Sango Bridge either closed or struggling to operate.
– SIBOWASCO is losing approximately KES 48,000 daily in revenue.
– Taxpayers face a double burden, as an estimated KES 1.85 million will be required to repair the damaged infrastructure—on top of the ongoing road construction costs.
In response, SIBOWASCO has deployed water bowsers to supply affected schools, but residents say the effort is insufficient and unsustainable.
“Bowsers are temporary. What we need is our water system restored,” said a teacher in Koyucho.
The community has now issued clear demands to KeRRA and Tosh Holdings Ltd:
– Immediate suspension of all excavation works.
– Full restoration of the damaged pipeline by June 22, 2026, under SIBOWASCO supervision.
– Compensation for infrastructure damage, lost revenue, and emergency interventions.
Until then, residents insist the project will not proceed.
While the road project had initially been welcomed as a catalyst for economic growth and improved connectivity, it has now become a symbol of what residents call “development without dignity.”
“We are not against roads,” a community leader said. “But development cannot take away water—the very essence of life.”
As pressure mounts, KeRRA and its contractor face a critical choice: act swiftly to restore the community’s water supply or risk turning a flagship infrastructure project into a stark reminder of failed planning and misplaced priorities.
For the people of Bondo, the message remains clear, unified, and unyielding:
No water. No road.
