Seme Residents Decry Breakdown of Historic Water Supply System
“The locals are staring at waterborne diseases, and something must be done quickly to avert a crisis,” Dr. Ayah said, emphasizing the urgency of the matter

By Our Reporter
Thirty years ago, the Seme community in Kisumu County celebrated the launch of a transformative water scheme initiated by former Kisumu Rural MP, Hon. Ndolo Ayah. The project was a beacon of hope, alleviating the daily struggles of locals who had to trek for miles to fetch water. However, this once-thriving water system has now been in disrepair for nearly four months, leaving the residents frustrated and uncertain about when the taps will flow again.
Thanks to the intervention of Dr. Richard Ayah, a public health expert and son of the late Hon. Ndolo Ayah, there is renewed hope that the taps may soon spring back to life. Moved by the deteriorating situation, Dr. Ayah stepped in to address the issue, particularly concerned about the health risks facing the community.
“The locals are staring at waterborne diseases, and something must be done quickly to avert a crisis,” Dr. Ayah said, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.
The root of the problem, it turns out, was a malfunctioning Kenya Power transformer that had been essential in pumping and distributing water across the region. For months, the transformer remained out of service, crippling the water system and leaving key facilities in Seme without access to water.
Amos Odhiambo, chairman of Arito Langi Health Centre, expressed the severe impact the breakdown has had on the community. “We lacked both water and electricity at the facility. Thanks to Dr. Ayah’s intervention, the transformer has been fixed. Now, we are waiting for the water supply to be restored,” Odhiambo said.
Without flowing water, the health center has struggled to provide adequate medical care. Odhiambo stressed the importance of water in daily operations, stating, “Water is everything. The lack of it in the community points to a greater disaster.”
Dr. Ayah lamented the neglect of the water project, which his late father had envisioned as a lifeline for the people of Seme. “This water project should have been expanded to reach more families. Instead, it has been abandoned due to poor maintenance,” he noted.
Many locals, like Elizabeth Otieno, remain puzzled by the situation. “We don’t know what’s happening. Nobody is telling us why there is no water,” said Otieno, a resident of West Seme in Reru village. She, like many other women, is forced to walk several kilometers to a water pan, which dries up during drought and provides untreated water during the rainy season.
“The well is unreliable, and the water isn’t treated, but it’s all we have,” Otieno added, frustrated by the uncertainty.
Dr. Ayah warns that the continued consumption of untreated water puts the community at risk of outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, and other waterborne diseases. He believes that if the project had been properly maintained and expanded, the current crisis could have been avoided.
At the water tank that stores water for onward distribution to homes and institutions, a local administrator confirmed that the real issue lies at the water treatment plant. “The problem is not here at the tank; it’s at the treatment plant. When it will be resolved is still unclear,” said the officer, unwilling to provide further details.
Nearby, Beatrice Adhiambo, a local resident, washed her clothes after fetching water from a distant source. “We have to line up at the water point. Many people gather there every day because our taps have been dry for months,” she explained. She, like many others, hopes that the issue at the extraction point will be resolved swiftly to save them from the daily struggle of trekking long distances for water.
Odhiambo, a retired teacher and influential community leader, called on the Kisumu County government to intervene. “Now that the power issue has been sorted, there is an urgent need to fix the water fault so we can