Kakamega county government has commissioned a share of a Sh100 million water project.
The project, a collaboration between the county, Kakamega County Water and Sanitation Company, and Western Kenya Water Project, is expected to be fully operational by 2027.
Governor Fernendes Barasa and USAID mission director to Kenya and East Africa David Gosney officiated at the commissioning of the project at jua Kali area in Kefinco on Friday.
Barasa said the initiative is a component of the county government’s plan to guarantee last-mile connectivity in every ward through his clarion call, amatsi khumuliango, which roughly translates to water at the doorstep.
“The project assists urban water service providers in designing and implementing roadmaps for improvement to structure a realistic sequence of water supply,” Barasa said.
It will help identify and develop service delivery models that are appropriate for rural operations.
The initiative aims to improve governance in the water sector by collaborating with county governments and industry stakeholders.
“This is critical for effective devolved sector governance and the establishment of incentives for private sector engagement and leadership at the decentralised level,” Gosney said.
Several counties, including Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori and Siaya, are receiving assistance from the USAID Western Kenya Water Project to improve long-term access to water services.
More than 500,000 Kenyans will receive basic drinking water services from the project, more than 350,000 will receive higher-quality services, and 300,000 will benefit from better water resource management.
When complete, the project will
increase the amount of water available in Kakamega Municipality
