Fire at MOWASCO Offices Linked to Ksh. 9 Billion Scandal as World Bank Threatens to Pull Funding

A suspicious fire that broke out at the Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company (MOWASCO) offices on Saturday, May 10, is now being investigated as a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence connected to an alleged multi-billion-shilling corruption scandal, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The late-night blaze destroyed property of unknown value and has prompted widespread speculation about its timing.

Emergency response teams including County Emergency Teams with support from the Kenya Navy and Kenya Ports Authority reportedly arrived more than an hour after the fire began, by which time significant damage had already occurred.

However, insiders claim the officers were merely used as pawns in a well-planned fire incident with selfish interest directly linking MOWASCO Managing Director Abdirahim Mohamed Farah to the incident.

Notably, senior government officials including County Secretary Jeizan Faruk and Chief Officers Swaleh Mwalizuma, Ali Abdulrahman, and Albert Keno, alongside MOWASCO MD Farah Abdirahim were on site supervising the emergency response, raising further questions about the circumstances.

Stalled projects and mismanagement 

Multiple World Bank-funded water and sanitation projects worth billions of shillings have either stalled or remain unimplemented, despite contractors allegedly receiving full payment.

These include the Kipevu Waste Management Project and Shimo La Tewa Sewer Line Project, both showing little to no progress despite substantial disbursements.

A Senate Committee recently confirmed these failures during site inspections that revealed abandoned project sites and incomplete infrastructure works, prompting concerns about the potential withdrawal of World Bank funding.

MOWASCO is reportedly facing “ballooning pending bills” owed to suppliers, many of whom have “almost given up on pushing for their justified payments.

According to sources privy to the story, some cartels who have been bagging millions of shillings on a silver platter from the company are suspected to be behind the fire suggesting an organized attempt to obstruct investigations into financial mismanagement.

Leadership failures

The company has been embroiled in controversy since at least 2019.

In February this year, the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, chaired by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, met with Mombasa County Governor Abdullswamad Nassir to discuss the Auditor General’s reports on MOWASCO’s financial statements for fiscal years 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2020/21.

The committee directed the Governor to reconstitute the Board of Directors within 30 days and implement performance contracting for all employees to improve accountability.

However, sources allege that instead of implementing reforms, the Governor unlawfully renewed the Managing Director’s term without board approval and replaced board members who resisted political interference.

Despite these governance challenges, Mombasa’s water crisis continues unabated.

The county’s daily water demand stands at approximately 220,000 cubic meters, yet the region receives only 30,000 to 35,000 cubic meters per day.

Compounding this shortage, about 50 percent of available water is lost through leakages and illegal connections.

In 2023, MOWASCO attempted to introduce new regulations targeting private water tankers, borehole operators, exhaust operators, and shallow well operators, ostensibly to address illegal water connections and health concerns.

However, county legislators countered that these illegal connections were being facilitated by insiders at MOWASCO itself.

Land controversy

Adding to the company’s troubles, allegations have surfaced that “cartels associated with County Government are targeting a plot measuring about 1 acre” located between the MOWASCO building and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) building.

This raises further questions about potential conflicts of interest among county officials.

With mounting evidence of systematic corruption and mismanagement, calls are growing for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Office of the Auditor-General, and the Senate to launch thorough investigations into both MOWASCO and the Coast Water Works Development Agency (CWWDA).

The Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) has already issued a formal warning to the county government, threatening to revoke MOWASCO’s operating license due to governance concerns and operational failures.