Exposed: Water utility bosses in Sh3bn scam

Dar es Salaam. Nine managers of the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewarage Corporation (Dawasco) were suspended yesterday in what could explain some of the reasons why the city of nearly 5 million people is starved of water.

The Dawasco employees were accused of diverting water and supplying it for free to Strabag, the German company that is constructing the Dar Rapid Bus Transit (Dart) project.

Water and Irrigation minister Gerson Lwenge who announced their suspension claimed that up to Sh2.9 billion was lost in 2014 due to the diversion.

If true, the incident would point to a scandal that explains the widely held suspicion among the public that Dawasco employees often diverted water or deliberately interfered with the flow for selfish gain. Some of them have been accused of colluding with big water sellers to frustrate availability of the precious liquid so as to create a shortage from which the vendors profiteered.

The suspended managers include Reginald Kessy who was (Distribution Manager-Magomeni), Theresia Mlengu (Manager-Magomeni), Emmanuel Buruba (Business Officer-Magomeni), Raymond Kapale (Manager Magomeni), Peter Chacha (Corporate Manager), Fred Mapunda (Manager-Kibaha), Jumanne Ngelera (Engineer Magomeni), Bernard Mkenda (Business Officer-Kinondoni) and Mvano Mandawa (Human Resource Manager).

According to the minister, the investigation conducted by his office had discovered that in year 2014, some senior officers were involved in illegal connections of water to Strabag for the Dart project free of charge.

But when reached for comment, Strabag public relations officer Yahya Mkumba denied the allegations saying his company was clean.

He said the last time the company paid a Dawasco bill was December, 2015, and that since then, it has been buying from different sources in the city, and delivered to the project site by its vehicles.

“It is not true that Strabag has been stealing water from Dawasco, if I am not mistaken, I think our legal department is already addressing this matter,” he said.

Meeanwhile, the minister has directed Dawasco’s Board of Directors to conduct an independent investigation on former chief executive director Jackson Midala who retired last year, to establish whether or not he is associated with the lost amount of money.

Mr Lwenge suspended the nine workers yesterday during his first tour to Dawasco’s headquarters.”The purpose of my visit is to greet you and to send some of you home, to pave way for investigations,” he said. Strabag has been given 14 days to clear its debt, and the Dawasco awyer has been directed to file a case against it in court if it fails to comply.

“We have no choice; these officers must pave the way for investigations but we will not oppress anyone. Our intention is to ensure that city residents receive water consistently. We cannot continue to tolerate people who sabotage our efforts by engaging in illegal water connections,” Mr Lwenge said, adding: “The former

Dawasco boss should be questioned to establish whether he was in anyway involved in the scandal during his tenure, and the board of directors mus find him wherever he is, to give explanations.”

The minister furthermore gave the board a two-week deadline within which to establish whether big companies like Tanzania Breweries Limited pay their water bills.

“I have reports that, the water consumption rate of companies is far higher than the storage capacity of their wells, creating suspicions that they get and use considerably much Dawasco water for which they don’t pay,” he further explained. Another discovery, he said, was that dishonest employees of the utility firm received monthly payments from the companies. “This has deprived the firm much revenue. We won’t tolerate such .”

Speaking earlier, Dawasco’s CEO, Mr Cyprian Luhemeja projected that the firm would reduce non-revenue water to 30 per cent by 2018, but the minister said that target should be attained this year.