Water and sanitation providers have asked President William Ruto to allocate at least Sh3 trillion to the water sector under his Vision 2060 development agenda.
Water and Sanitation Providers Association (WASPA) Chief Executive Officer Anthony Nyaramba said the investment was necessary to address the country’s growing water and sanitation needs and ensure more Kenyans have access to reliable and safe water.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing WASPA Games and Cultural Festival in Kericho, Nyaramba said water was an essential commodity that required substantial investment in infrastructure to meet rising demand across the country.
“Water is an essential commodity and requires adequate investment if we are to address water provision across the country. We therefore need to see serious investment in the sector under Vision 2060,” Nyaramba said.
He said the proposed Sh3 trillion investment should be channelled towards expanding water supply systems, improving sanitation infrastructure and extending services to areas that remain unserved or underserved.
Nyaramba also called on the government to integrate water and sanitation infrastructure into major road construction projects to avoid the high costs associated with installing pipes after roads have been completed.
He cited the ongoing expansion of the 233-kilometre Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit road, saying the government should take advantage of the project to lay water and sanitation pipes along the route.
“Whenever roads are being constructed, we should have water and sanitation infrastructure installed at the same time. It is more expensive to come back later and excavate a newly constructed road to lay pipes,” he said.
Nyaramba said putting the infrastructure in place during road construction would minimise the need to excavate newly built roads in future when water and sanitation networks are expanded.
He said the approach would also enable water service providers to extend their networks more efficiently while reducing the cost of delivering services to residents along the corridor.
The WASPA chief executive further called for the introduction of a last-mile water connection programme to complement the government’s last-mile electricity connectivity initiative.
He said the programme would enable households located near existing water infrastructure to access piped water by supporting the final connection between water distribution networks and individual homes.
“We have invested heavily in water infrastructure, but some households are still unable to access the water because they cannot afford the final connection. We need a last-mile water programme to bridge this gap,” Nyaramba said.
He argued that access to water should be treated with the same urgency as access to electricity because both services are critical to improving living standards and supporting economic development.
Nyaramba urged the national and county governments to work closely with water service providers when planning major infrastructure projects to ensure water and sanitation needs are incorporated from the beginning.
“Infrastructure planning must be integrated. We should not construct roads today and then start digging them up tomorrow because we forgot to provide for water and sanitation infrastructure,” he said.
Nyaramba said increased investment would enable water service providers to expand their networks, improve service delivery and contribute to the country’s long-term development goals.
He called on the government to make water and sanitation a key priority in Vision 2060, saying adequate investment in the sector would help Kenya achieve universal access to clean water and improved sanitation.
