Counties, corporates, and individuals in Western Kenya driving the adoption of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and market-based sanitation are set to be awarded.
The United States Government, through the USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project (USAID WKSP), in partnership with the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) will be hosting the event on Thursday in Kisumu.
Already governors and their deputies from 14 counties have confirmed attendance.
Speakers from the various county assemblies, amongst other stakeholders and officials, will grace the occasion.
This is aimed at promoting approaches that multiply investments in sanitation and MHM in the USAID WKSP-supported counties of Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, and Siaya, and the LREB counties of Nyamira, Vihiga, Bomet, Nandi, Trans Nzoia and Kericho.
The awards will be given under three categories: counties, individuals, and other enterprises that have done well on matters of sanitation and MHM.
According to Busia Deputy Governor Arthur Odera, this event will bring together counties with similar economics, struggles, and challenges to try and tackle them as a bloc by leveraging their strength and at the same time building a relationship where they can build their economies.
Odera said the awards will be given to individuals and institutions with proven implementation, and approaches aimed at improving stakeholder coordination to strengthen the policy and regulatory environment.
This is to increase the capacity of county governments to achieve sustainable change in sanitation and MHM.
"We want to come together to talk about sanitation, raise its profile, and at the same time reward and award those who have done well in this sector. At the same time, we will be agreeing on some of the key actions to make to ensure we raise our performance," he said.
The deputy governor further noted that the event will also include exhibitions to showcase the things people are doing concerning sanitation within the LREB region.
He further stated that a technical committee was formed to look at the nominations by analyzing them to ensure that people awarded are persons or counties that deserve such awards.
"LREB region is raising the profile of sanitation and wants the region to consider sanitation issues as important and at the same time allocate resources and undertake activities that will help in MHM management and dignity of both women and girls within the region".
USAID WKSP is a five-year (2022 to 2027) program whose goal is to create a financially sustainable, transformative, replicable, and locally owned sanitation and MHM marketplace in eight western Kenya counties.
The Project is led and managed by the Research Triangle Institute and implemented through cooperation with partners Amref Health Africa and Population Services International.