Day: May 15, 2023

Thika Water and Sewerage Company (Thiwasco) is working on a programme to connect more residential houses to sewer lines in Thika, Weitethie and Kiganjo estates to improve sanitation and make the suburbs more habitable.

Thiwasco managing director Moses Kinya said the programme, dubbed the last-mile connectivity, will seek to bring on board areas and houses not connected to sewer lines into the system.

While noting that only 40 percent of houses in these areas have been connected to the sewerage system, Kinya said through the programme, more sewer lines are being dug and connections made to bring every house on board.

He said they are working with development partners to increase the areas under sewerage connectivity and called on those not connected to sewer lines to fast-track connections by taking advantage of the programme.

‘We have done a lot in sewerage connectivity especially in the upcoming estates of Weitethie and Kiganjo. We are also doing the last-mile connectivity to bring on board residential houses left without sewer connection,’ Kinya said.

He was speaking during a tree-planting exercise at the company’s sewerage treatment site at Kangoki area in Thika town.

Besides, he said, they have streamlined exhauster services in areas that lack the sewer network as they work on how to have the areas connected to the sewer lines.

‘Once you have a sewer pipeline passing close to your house, contact the company so that we can connect you. This will ensure more people are brought on board and that we keep the environment clean. On the exhauster services, we have streamlined them and given them emptying areas at the sewer treatment plant,’ he said.

Apart from the Kangoki site, the MD said they are in the process of constructing other sewerage treatment plants to effectively handle increased waste production in the area.

The plants, being done by development partners, will be at Pilot and Kilimambogo estates and will help increase sewerage connection by 7,000 cubic metres (7 million litres) of sewer collection per day.

They will help in generation of electricity alongside other mini hydro-generation plants to reduce internal power consumption which the MD revealed during a stakeholders meeting was at 19 percent of their revenue.

More electricity, he said, will also be generated through bio-digesters.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Criminal syndicates are taking advantage of the countless layers of restrictions law enforcement agencies face, given that they are limited to working within national jurisdictions.

This is according to Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) Chairperson and Inspector General (IG) of the Namibian Police Force, Joseph Shikongo, who said organised crime syndicates have gone global and are operating across nations, thereby merging and collapsing SADC borders in the process.

“This situation is compounded by the fact that organised crime syndicates have also digitalised their criminal activities and it only takes a click for them to use cyberspace to commit a crime from miles away,” he expressed.

Shikongo was speaking at the opening of the inaugural SADC Multi-Stakeholder Regional Conference on Transnational Organised Crime Conference in Swakopmund on Monday.

The IG also highlighted the lack of cooperation by law enforcement agencies at national and regional levels, as one of the most prominent and generic challenges observed.

“We are operating in silos. Hence, our efforts to prevent and combat transnational organised crime are fragmented and are characterised by a piecemeal approach. I therefore would like to emphasise that we need to forge unity and fight this crime from a united front and a common understanding, which will enhance resource mobilisation, through forging public-public partnerships, since in the most cases law enforcement agencies are under-resourced, while criminals are well-equipped by criminal syndicates,” Shikongo said.

SADC Secretariat’s Acting Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Kealeboga Moruti at the same occasion stressed the importance of cooperation to effectively fight transnational organised crimes within the region.

“The decision to host this first-ever regional conference communicates with clarity the commitment of SADC chiefs of police, whose roles are undeniable in initiating robust measures and mechanisms to effectively combat transnational organised crime.”

The conference, which is being attended by chiefs of police from SADC countries, is aimed at enhancing regional frameworks and efforts to prevent and combat transnational organised crimes.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency