By Faith Anene, Kakamega
The government has developed a road map to increase water and sanitation coverage in six counties in the Lake Region in the next five years at a cost of Sh34billion.
The counties are Bungoma, Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Busia and Vihiga.
Water, Sanitation and Irritation Cabinet Secretary Eng Eric Murithi said the government; through Lake Victoria Water Works Development Agency (LVNWDA) has developed a strategic plan anchored on five themes to increase water coverage in the region.
Eng Murithi while presiding over the launch of the strategic plan at Golf Hotel Kakamega said: “This strategic plan is anchored on five key themes that will guide our efforts to improve water and sanitation services across Western Kenya. We are laying a foundation for sustainable development.”
He went on: “”By investing in water and sanitation infrastructure today, we are investing in the future of Western Kenya. Together, we can ensure that every household has access to clean water and safe sanitation by 2028,” adding, “Access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. Our goal of increasing coverage from 72 per cent to 75 per cent by 2028 is not just a target; it’s a commitment to the health and dignity of our communities,”
The investment framework includes increasing sewage coverage, management and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure, increasing collaboration, resource mobilisation and stakeholder engagements and strengthening institutional capacities of the agency and water service providers.
Murithi said that every water project being undertaken by the agency in the six counties has direct impact on the health, well-being and economic growth of target communities.
“The government is committed to ensuring that the financial obligations of the agency are met. We are ready to partner with bilateral and development donors to ensure all projects are financed to completion,” he said.
The Agency CEO Joel Wamalwa said that they are working around the clock to have all its schemes are gravity operated to reduce cost of water to ensure water companies are able to supply water at affordable cost and in turn connect more people.
Wamalwa said the agency will activate its water police unit to enhance patrols in the region to tame the rising none revenue water that has denied service providers money to meet their financial obligations including repayment of loans obtained to develop infrastructure.
He said the agency will enter into MoUs with water companies within the catchment to commit them to take care of the developed infrastructure in their respective areas.
“Containing illegal connections and sealing broken infrastructure will reduce non-revenue water and ensure the companies have more water to sell and increase their revenue,” he said.
He said the agency plans to upgrade the Tindinyo-Kakamega gravity scheme to have more people connected so that service providers can raise revenue to repay the Sh 1.2 billion borrowed to establish the scheme.
He said county governments have not been able to repay the loan since the scheme was handed over to them after 2013.
“As an agency, we want to upgrade the infrastructure so that many people can be connected and then come up with a repayment plan,” he said.
He said that the agency will collaborate with Kakamega county government leadership to revive and complete the stalled Sh2.3 billion Maraba sewerage plant to expand sanitation coverage to match the high rate of urbanisation.
Wamalwa said the project had already consumed Sh2.3 billion for development of the infrastructure by the time it stalled, adding that it requires about Sh100 million to complete treatment works.
Out of the Sh 2.3 billion, Sh 1 billion was a grant and Sh 1.3 billion was a loan that remains in serviced.
Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa said his administration will work with the agency to unlock the stalled project to help serve the rising urban population.
The project stalled because of issues raised by the community about the location of the project in their midst.
“For us as Kakamega to achieve the aspiration of becoming the sixth city, we must invest heavily in the sewerage system,” he said
