Suspending heads of Dar es Salaam Water Authority due to oversight deficiencies in water infrastructure

Dar es Salaam. There were several reasons for the suspension of two executives of the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (Dawasa), including acting CEO Kiula Kingu, in particular inadequate oversight of water infrastructure.

On Sunday, June 30, 2024, Kingu and Dawasa’s Director of Production and Water Distribution, Shaban Mkwanywe, were suspended on the directives of the Minister of Water, Jumaa Aweso.

This measure was taken to enable an investigation into their inadequate performance, which resulted in interruptions in water supplies in their areas of responsibility.

Her suspension was based on a report presented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mwajuma Waziri, to Minister Aweso, the board members, the Dawasa management and the regional political committee.

The report was based on an inspection tour by Ms Waziri to various water production facilities, including Upper Ruvu and Lower Ruvu, as well as the main pipeline that transports water from springs to reservoirs.

Almost a week after Mwananchi Digital reported on water supply problems in areas of Dar es Salaam, Engineer Waziri conducted a two-day tour.

The revelation highlighted the challenges faced by residents, such as in Msumi, Mbezi District, where they resort to using cement to purify water before consumption.

Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Kundo Mathew, visited various areas on 20 March 2024 on the instructions of Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa to assess the water supply situation.

On Sunday, Minister Aweso made an impromptu visit to Dawasa facilities. He inspected water reserve tanks in various areas including the University of Dar es Salaam tank, Luguruni, Mshikamano and Tegeta A.

Another team led by Dawasa board members visited Kigamboni.

After her return, an internal meeting was held, followed by a public session where Ms. Waziri presented her findings.

“I started in Upper Ruvu, where ideally they should be producing 180 million litres a day. I noticed that some pumps were not working and a lot of water was being wasted. I wonder how we can reach 180 million litres,” she said.

It also inspected the main water pipeline that carries water to the reservoirs and found that flow meters – devices used to monitor water levels – were missing and had been replaced by makeshift settlements.

“It seems that there has been no control in these areas, as many water chambers are leaking. This problem is not limited to the main line; urban water sources are also poorly managed,” she said.

She explained that in some places people had set up irrigation farms by illegally connecting to the Dawasa pipelines without taking any action against them.

“In terms of government investment and machinery, the Lower Ruvu plant is expected to produce 260 million litres per day, but some pumps are not operational,” she added.

“The government has invested in machinery capable of producing 590 million litres daily. However, due to inefficiencies in various sources, including Kigamboni, we are currently producing only 320 million litres daily, creating a deficit of 270 million litres,” she explained.

She pointed out that according to data from the last six months, Dawasa sells 210 million litres a day but loses 110 million litres.

This loss means they could potentially supply six million citizens if this water were available.

After examining their results, they concluded that the main problem was inefficient production due to machine defects.

“Secondly, we observed poor management and a lack of accountability among senior leaders. They overlooked crucial details, which led to poor decisions,” she said.

“Thirdly, we have identified a significant backlog of service connections. We have received about 55,547 requests and 6,891 connections are still pending payment,” she explained.

She also stressed that staff lack professionalism, with many giving inconsistent answers to questions about their duties and some even mishandling the roles entrusted to them.

Following Ms Mwajuma’s presentation, Mr Aweso, visibly annoyed, questioned Mr Mkwanywe about his absence during the Permanent Secretary’s visit.

After some deliberations, Mr Aweso invited the Chairman of the Board, retired General Davis Mamunyange, to address those present.

General Mamunyange noted that the few areas they visited during their tour gave a clear picture of the dire state of the city’s water supply.

“I and my fellow board members did not expect to find such a bad situation. We are shocked. We did not expect this and urgent action must be taken,” said General Mamunyange.

He mentioned that the board would convene a meeting to work on the minister’s instructions.

After General Mamunyange finished his remarks, Minister Aweso said: “I have to take action because I am receiving numerous complaints from Dar es Salaam. As you know, when there is a shortage of water in Dar es Salaam, we have no one else to turn to.”

Minister Aweso called on the Dawasa board to approve the suspension of acting chairman Kiula Kingu and engineer Shaban Mkwanywe pending the outcome of the investigation.

He asked them to explain to the board why there was no water in the reservoirs, although there was water at the springs, there was sufficient electricity supply and the pumps were working.

He explained that Dawasa would be under the direct supervision of the Water Ministry during the suspension of these politicians.