Water bill scheduled for Parliament in February

The government is set to table the Water Bill and 2018 Environmental Sanitation, for the second time in its coming Parliamentary sessions, scheduled to start next month.

The bill that was first read in the House last year in November, this time in Tanga, the Ministry of Water Permanent Secretary, Prof Kitila Mkumbo (pictured), told reporters that if passed into law, the government would introduce as Rural Water Agency (RUWA).

He said the bill would be tabled in the Parliament ready for the debate, as a proceeding amongst other procedures, and if passed it would be signed into law by the Head of State.

The PS was in Tanga over the weekend to inspect the implementation of various water projects in the region. He said if approved, it would be a RUWA law also in the District Councils to ensure water services in rural areas and water authorities adhere to.

He further said that the law would also take care of all District Water Engineers, answerable to it. On the challenges facing Tanga Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (Tanga-Uwasa), the PS said the government was aware of the dilapidated infrastructures in their yards, but was working for their repairs.

“We are aware of the challenges, and I can assure you that the government is looking for funds to address all the identified challenges,” he said.

On his side Tanga-Uwasa Managing Director, Engineer Geoffrey Hilly said a total of 400bn/- was still required to renovate the sewage water system, repair water pumping machine and other infrastructures including construction of water reserve tanks with the capacity of 30,000 cubic meters.