Kenya, Mombasa: Dutch Company invests in water project

Multi Purpose Industries (MPI), a Dutch company specialising in potable water solutions, has launched a state-of-the-art decentralised water purification unit in Kenya. MPI has invested over US$70 million in the project.

The purification unit is able to produce approximately 45,000 to 75,000 litres of potable water per day from any polluted source of water.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government, Musalia Mudavadi, said the plant would increase accessibility to clean water and reduce dependency on rain.

MPI said the plant has the capacity to desalinate salty sea water and would be launched in Mombasa, at the coast of Kenya, shortly.

The investment will come as a relief to residents of Mombasa who recently experienced water shortages.

Last December [2009] the water shortages facing the tourist resort town reached crisis levels as local residents faced threats of contracting water borne diseases while tourist hotels made losses in purchasing the commodity.

The Ambassador for The Netherlands to Kenya, Laetitia van den Assum, said the water purification unit project would provide 1.3 million Kenyans with sustainable supply of water and another 1.6 million with sanitation.

Arnold Ongwerboer de Visser, chief executive officer of MPI Netherlands, said the project would stimulate local economic growth as refined water surplus is used for irrigation and reduction of waterborne diseases.

MPI is targeting private investors, government and non-governmental organisations to purchase one of the units for approximately Ksh.6 million ($75,000).

Web site: Multi Purpose Industries (MPI)

See MPI’s brochure on the Multi Purpose Water Unit

Source: Dinfin Mulupi, How We Made It In Africa / allAfrica.com, 21 May 2010

See below a K24 TV report on the launch of the water purification unit