White Smoke: Bomet and Kericho Counties unlock water impasse
The long-standing deadlock between Kericho and Bomet counties over the management of water from Itare water project has finally been resolved.
Kiptoo Emmanuel 
In what appeared to be a well played-out, and successful water diplomacy, H.E.Prof.Paul Chepkwony, EGH and his Bomet counterpart, H.E.Prof.Hillary Barchok signed a 5-year agreement on how to jointly manage the water scheme.
Residents of Litein and parts of Bureti sub county now have a reason to smile after a task force drawn from the two counties resolved key among other issues the immediate resumption of water supply to Kericho County.
The residents had suffered because Bomet County disconnected the water that was supplying to the residents of Litein over unpaid bills.
Kericho County on the other hand claimed that the Itare water project there was a mutual agreement between by the two counties and that It was wrong for Bomet County to bill the residents of Litein who are in Kericho over water.
In the agreement, Kericho made a commitment to settle the outstanding debt of Ksh. 29.5m owed to BOMWASCO within a period of three months.
The negotiations were midwifed by Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency and brought together the Water Service Providers from the two counties, KEWASCO and BOMWASCO.
Since the disconnection of water by Bomet County in June last year, well over 35,000 residents of Bureti sub county had suffered the brunt.
Few Litein residents who responded to Bright Kenya news reporter said that they were happy at long last there is a ray of hope in the water problems witnessed by residents . They hope this agreement will bring a lasting and assure the leaders to stick to the plan and not politicize the move .
