Kenyans may soon have access to a reliable water supply as the government moves to upgrade some systems in and around the city of Nairobi. According to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the government intends to sink wells as part of a project aimed at supplying water across a 70 Kilometer radius of the city.

The Ministry has already received KES 25 billion from the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) to fund the development scheme. The money will be used to finance the first two phases of the project. Phase one will include sinking wells in Kiunyu and Ruiru while phase two calls for the construction of a tunnel and some dams in Maragua and Ndarugu. These will be used to divert and store water ahead of the country’s frequent seasonal droughts.

Kikuyu Ruiru Juja and Kiambu are just some of the areas set to benefit from the upgrade.The first phase of the move is expected to increase the Nairobi’s daily water capacity by 64,800 cubic millimeters per day. According to a report by the Consumer's Federation of Kenya (COFEK), Nairobi's current water supply stands at 431,000 cubic meters against a demand of 650,000 cubic meters.

The Ministry plans to raise a total of KES 160 billion to finance the entire project. The first phase is set for December 2012.