Hargeisa Water Agency’s General Manager Reports to the Standing Committee of the Somaliland House of Elders

Hargeisa Water Agency’s General Manager, Mohamed Ali Darood, gives a report to Standing Committee of the Somaliland House of Elders

The session started with an overview introduction of the progress the agency has made so far. 

General Manager, Mohamed Ali Darood 

In October, 2022 the first phase of the Hargeisa Water Expansion project was completed. Prior to the water expansion project, the Hargeisa Water Agency’s water production capabilities were at 6500 meter cubic per day. After the phase one expansion, now the agency is able to produce 26000 meter cubic per day, which means the water production capabilities more than quadrupled during the first phase of Hargeisa Water Expansion Project. Within this project, we have built a new water production facility that is three times more powerful than the old facility. In addition, new wells were dug as well as the pipes to carry to the service reservoirs. Most importantly, a primary feeder( main pipe) that is 23 km long and a diameter of 600mm was laid down connecting the water production facilities at Geedeeble to storage facilities inside the city. These were components of the first phase of the project that were completed in 2022. 

We are now working on the second phase of the Hargeisa water expansion project. So far in this project, 166 km of pipes were laid down as well as four large service reservoirs all completed and tested but yet to become operational. This second phase of the project is not only water storage facilities and pipes but we have also improved the agency’s ability in project implementation. In October 2024, the agency bought a drilling rig, the first ever drilling rig of its kind completely owned by a government institution in Somaliland, which is capable of digging a 600m deep well. The need for such purchase came as a precaution to prevent external contractors from wasting the limited funds the agency receives from donors. For now, the agency does not have to worry about an error in digging a well because we can carry that out by ourselves. This has saved us both money and time. 

In February 2025, the Hargeisa Water Agency and the KFW Development Bank of Germany partnered to complete the Hargeisa Water Supply Project.  The two organizations determined that the most efficient approach was for the Agency to manage construction, with the German company CES overseeing quality control. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2025, with an anticipated completion date before October 2025.

The Hargeisa Water Agency fully funded and completed the Kalqoray Dam, the largest dam in Somaliland. The dam’s success demonstrates the agency’s effective budget management and commitment to professional and efficient work. It is expected that the dam will improve the condition of the underwater reservoirs at Geedeeble.

And that concludes the introductory report given by the General Manager, Mohamed Ali Darood. The members of the Standing Committee of the House of Elders have started asking the General manager the questions. 

MP Cumar Nuur Riyaale

To get a complete picture of the progress on the Hargeisa Water Expansion project, which we are aware is being assisted by the German Government, we would like to know how many kilometers of pipes the Hargeisa Water Agency has laid down so far inside Hargeisa.

GM, Mohamed Ali Darood 

So far, we have laid down 228 km of pipes that are not yet operational, but completed and ready to be used. In addition to pipes, we have also built service reservoirs (storage facilities). Prior to the expansion project Hargeisa’s water storage facilities were extremely limited and old. Long before Somaliland regained its sovereignty and during the oppressive regime of Somalia, hargeisa had only 3000 meter cubic of service reservoir, which was split between two large reservoirs built by the Chinese and one small reservoir in Xero-awr Area built by the British. Their total capacity was only 4000 meter cubic of water. The new project financed by the German Government (KfW) put in place four new service reservoirs with a capacity of 7630 meter cubic of water. Coca-Cola Africa Foundation has also funded three new small service reservoirs, one elevated tank and a chlorine plant. In total, 9 new water infrastructure facilities are currently complete and ready, but not yet operational. 

MP Ahmed Quule

Does the Hargeisa water Agency use solar to pump water from the boreholes? 

Engineer Khalid Mohamed Abdilahi (Uurcade)

No, the generators at the water production facility operate on diesel. However, 3 wells that were funded by the SDF use solar panels during the day and the diesel generator during the night. The agency is trying its best to reduce its use of diesel and hopes to  operate on solar for at least 50% of its energy usage in the near future. 

MP Ahmed Ali Aden

First, I would like to thank you and your team for coming in front of this committee. Second, I would like to ask you two sets of questions concerning two separate issues. First, the media recently reported that the Hargeisa Water Agency terminated the contract of one of the companies hired to work on the water expansion project. Presumably, this termination was due to their underperformance and failure to meet contractual obligations.

I would like to inquire about the following:

• Were they held accountable for the errors that led to the termination of their contract?

• What is the current progress of the project?

• Has a new company been contracted to complete the project?

My second inquiry concerns the CocaCola Africa Foundation funded small reservoirs in Masalaha, the agency has so far laid down the main pipes, but yet to distribute to each household. What is the progress on this project?

GM, Mohamed Ali Darood

Thank you Honorable MP, Mr.Qalinle, for asking the question. The company was one of the companies that won the contract on a fair competitive international bidding system, but they failed to complete the project in accordance with the agreed time frame. The project was initially expected to be completed within a year, from January 2023 to January 2024. However, the contractor received an extension with several warnings. By January 2025, in agreement with our partners, the German Development Bank (KfW), it was decided to terminate the contract due to the contractor’s inability to complete the project. 

Hargeisa Water Agency is the only government organization that works to ensure conflict of interest is eliminated at all costs. Two factors have facilitated this to happen: the competency of its workforce and the independence of donor-funded projects as well as government-funded projects meaning Hargeisa Water Agency maintains its role as a beneficiary of these projects and allows the contractors to operate ensuring the correct oversight necessary for these projects to succeed. The Hargeisa Water Agency employees are well educated and well trained, enabling them to differentiate between contractors who can and cannot carry out the work properly. Furthermore, the agency permits both donor-funded and government-funded projects to operate independently, which allows the agency to terminate projects if a contractor fails to meet the terms. The termination of this particular company’s contract was the fourth instance in which the agency ended a contract due to the contractor’s failure to meet the agreed-upon terms.

In Somaliland, when a company is awarded a contract, the awarding agency is often forgotten. Once a contract is terminated due to the company’s failure to fulfill its obligations, even after being granted extensions, suddenly, tribal affiliations become prominent.

For Somalilanders, we asked them kindly that they do not take sides based on tribal allegiances as the agency is working really hard to provide excellent service to all of its residents. The agency is operating under limited resources as well as budgetary restriction and the small donations we receive from international donors must be managed well since trust is extremely important in sustaining a good relationship with donors and terminating this contract was in line with that narrative. 

As you might already know, Honorable MP, we already put in place a replacement for the contract we terminated and the stakeholders such as the German Development Bank were consulted. The project is expected to be completed by October 2025. 

Regarding your inquiry about the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation Funded reservoirs, I would like to remind you that the Hargeisa Water Expansion Project has been divided into two phases. Phase one has already supplied running water to many areas of Hargeisa. During phase two, we aim to fill and equip the reservoirs at Al Huda, Manhal, and Gacan-Libaax district (on top of Karinta hill) and the main Chinese reservoir in Koodbuur with pipes. Subsequently after finalizing the main reservoirs, we plan to fill the small reservoirs like Ina-Naxar and SingaSigaha reservoirs. Our overall strategy is to prioritize filling the larger reservoirs to supply water to wider areas before moving on to the smaller reservoirs.

MP Qaasim Hussein Madar

As of recently, there were many propaganda campaigns targeted at Hargeisa’s residents and their lack of water. This propaganda is also based on a reality on the ground that a house with running water is more expensive than a house without running water. Our critics throughout the Somali inhibited peninsula are pointing to our inability to provide running water for every house in Hargeisa. When should we expect an end to this and for at least most of Hargeisa to have running water? 

GM, Mohamed Ali Darood

Honorable MP, the betterment of the lives of our people and future generations of Somalilanders rests upon our ability to continually improve Hargeisa’s water infrastructure.  Creating improved living conditions is an ongoing challenge. As Somalilanders, we need to shift our focus when evaluating our development progress. Rather than fixating on minor details, such as the number of vehicles procured by the agency, the public should assess us based on our commitment to providing Hargeisa with running water. We ask to be judged fairly on the extent of our efforts to enhance Hargeisa’s water infrastructure.

The Hargeisa Water Agency has made significant strides in improving the city’s water infrastructure. While the work is ongoing, the agency has doubled the number of households with running water in 2022, a major accomplishment that required substantial effort.

MP Siciid Maxamed Libaax

During the rainy season, sometimes the water trucks who operate in Hargeisa get water from swamps and give their customers potentially contaminated water. Does the Hargeisa Water Agency collaborate with the Ministry of Health and the local police to protect the public from potentially harmful situations that can rise from contaminated water? 

GM, Mohamed Ali Darood 

The Hargeisa water agency has made significant strides in water quality. The agency’s water quality laboratory, which is responsible for water quality testing in Somaliland and neighboring countries, has implemented important measures to ensure that the people of Hargeisa have access to clean water that meets international standards.

We have also conducted research on the bottled water that is used in Hargeisa, but the research created a lot of fuss in the public. The tribal allegiances or alleged lack of mandate claims made by government institutions obstructed knowledge sharing, accountability, and the ability to offer the public and businesses an alternative way to provide healthy water to their customers. The aim in conducting this research was to allow the bottled-water companies to access necessary information and the recommendations necessary to improve their product.

With regards to our oversight of water trucks and the sanitary situation of the water they provide to their customers, the Hargeisa Water Agency made a number of public awareness campaigns through social media. If it is suspected that a truck has supplied contaminated water to a resident in Hargeisa, they can call Customer Care Center (9222) and immediately a sample will be collected and examined at the laboratory. If the sample comes out positive and the water was indeed contaminated, the owner of the truck is contacted and his truck as well the source of his water is also examined. In case the truck owner refuses to collaborate, the police are informed immediately, which happened a few times. In such situations, the truck drivers are held accountable in a court of law where they face the justice system for endangering the public health of the Hargeisa residents.