Somaliland opposition parties recommend Hargeisa water agency to be placed under Hargeisa Municipality

Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, is among the major cities of the country that have no sufficient water supply. Opposition parties in Somaliland are demanding Hargeisa water agency to be placed under the Hargeisa municipality.

According to the Halo trust report, Only 30 percent of residents in the capital currently have access to water supply. More than 700,000 people are relying on private water trucks for their daily needs.

Water supply in Hargeisa is currently managed by the Hargeisa Water Agency which is an independent institution with its own administration appointed directly by the president and not by the ministry of Water, Minerals and Natural Resources as many would assume.

The Opposition parties, WADDANI and UCID have separately demanded and recommended Bihi’s administration to place the Hargeisa water agency under the management of Hargeisa municipality led by the Mayor, Abdikareem Ahmed Mogeh.

“I have have repeatedly said that this city needs water”, Somaliland MP, Barkhad Jama Batun said. He urged the government to give special attention to ways the capital can get sufficient water supply.

The Secretary of water issues for UCID party Abdisalam Mohamed Muse shared a similar view and accentuated the importance of Hargeisa water agency to be placed under the Hargeisa municipality.

Meanwhile, the General manager of Hargeisa water agency Mohamed Ali Daarood distanced himself from failure and insisted on his agency being an independent institution.

Members of the public have varied opinions on the matter with some supporting the opposition’s view while the others oppose it.