Nairobi pipeline repairs disrupt water supply
More than 40 estates and neighbourhoods across Nairobi are facing a water supply interruption lasting approximately 24 hours following emergency repairs planned on a major pipeline supplying the capital.
Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) announced the disruption in a customer notice issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, saying the Athi Water Works Development Authority (AWWDA) would shut down the NCT-Kigoro-Gigiri-Kabete pipeline to facilitate urgent repair works.
The interruption is expected to affect residential estates, businesses, institutions and other customers served by the pipeline, although the company did not specify the exact time the shutdown would begin.
Among the affected areas are Riverside, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Ngara, Parklands, Kibera and Nairobi West. Other locations include parts of Ngong Road, Forces Memorial, Mbagathi Way, Adams Arcade, Woodley, Ngumo West, Golf Course I and II, and areas around Jamhuri.
In Kibera, the affected neighbourhoods include Lindi, Kambi Muru, Silanga, parts of Gatwekera, Kibera Plaza, Kianda, Ayany, Mwembeni and Makongeni.
The interruption will also affect parts of Southlands, Quick Estate, Hamayun Estate, Heshima Gardens, Akila I, Space Apartments, Popo Road and areas around Wilson Airport.
Other locations listed in the notice include Park Road, City Park, Desai Road, Railway Quarters in Ngara, Forest Road, Kipande Road and Limuru Road. Areas surrounding the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters, the United States Embassy, the International School, Kinanda Valley, Kihingo Estate and Magnolia are also expected to experience disruptions.
In Parklands, affected locations include Parklands Roads One to Five, Suswa Road, Highridge, Iregi Road, Kusi Lane, Mwambao Road and Masari Road.
The pipeline forms part of Nairobi’s bulk water transmission infrastructure, which conveys treated water from the Kigoro Water Treatment Plant in Murang’a County towards the city’s distribution network.
According to the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, the wider Northern Collector Tunnel water system includes the Kigoro treatment plant and transmission pipelines designed to deliver an additional 140 million litres of water daily to Nairobi and surrounding areas. The infrastructure is intended to strengthen supplies and help address the capital’s growing water demand.
AWWDA is responsible for developing and managing bulk water infrastructure serving Nairobi, Kiambu and Murang’a counties. Emergency maintenance is therefore necessary to maintain the reliability of critical transmission facilities.
However, shutting down a major supply line can reduce the volume of water entering the distribution network, potentially causing low pressure or temporary shortages in areas that depend on the affected routes.
NCWSC has advised customers in the affected areas to make arrangements for the interruption as repair works proceed. Residents and businesses are encouraged to store sufficient water for essential household and operational needs and use available supplies carefully.
The utility did not provide a precise shutdown start time in the notice, meaning the timing and extent of interruptions may vary across affected neighbourhoods.
Normal supply is expected to resume after the repair works are completed, although the restoration of water to individual areas may depend on the time needed for the distribution network to recover.
