Water CS says State will build 4,000 dams, remain in charge of the water sector

Water and Sanitation Alice Wahome during the launch water impact plan at Whitesands Beach Hotel in Mombasa on June 19, 2021. [Omondi Onyango, Standard] The state is planning to build over 4000 dams ranging from large, medium and small water pans to increase the availability of safe water to all Kenyans in the next seven years. Cabinet Secretary for Water Sanitation and Irrigation Alice Wahome said this was part of promises which Kenya Kwanza gave to Kenyans during their campaigns. She also declared that water as a whole will remain a national government affair and that was the reason why her ministry was inviting the private sector to invest in water supply to supplement what the government was doing. She said Kenya Kwanza pledged to provide clean safe water to Kenyans at their doorstep by 2030 and will push to ensure that this was achieved. "My ministry will remain focused to realize the ultimate goal by President William Ruto to ensure in the next seven years the provision of water and sanitation services for all Kenyans is achieved as part of the bottom-up economic transformation agenda in the country," said Wahome. Wahome was addressing over 1000 delegates at the Kenya Water and Sanitation international conference and Exhibition 2023, drawn from the water sector locally and internationally at Sarova Whitesands Beach Hotel in Mombasa County. It was entitled "Harnessing Technology and Innovation to accelerate access to safely managed water and Sanitation for All." The weeklong conference was opened by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday. During the conference, the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) declared Nyeri Water and Sanitation Company as the best water services provider followed by Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company. Ms Wahome said to fulfil the Kenya Kwnaza campaign pledge, the state will construct 100 large dams, 1000 medium dams and over 4000 dams and water pans. She said President Ruto's pledge was also in line with the Constitution which says that it is the right of every Kenyan to have access to clean safe water by 2030. He said since Kenya had made a commitment under United Nations Agenda 2030 on sustainability development, the government will ensure proper management of water and sanitation for every Kenyan. "This is reflected in Kenya's Constitution on the right to a reasonable standard of living section 43 (economics and social rights) which guarantees all citizens to rights to access clean and safe water and affordable sanitation," said Wahome. The CS said to realize this dream those in the water sector must be proactive and become innovative in the use of technology to make every Kenyan have access to water. She told water providers to come up with better ideas on how to manage water supply so that there was no wastage as was the case in various counties. The CS regretted that the water being produced for consumption in most parts of the country was not accounted for because of poor management. Wahome was accompanied by Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Dr Paul Ronoh and his Irrigation counterpart Ephatus Kamotho. She advised county governments to use new technology in managing water supply and cited cases where they were supposed to use smart meters to avoid wastage of water. She also called on private sector players to partner with the county governments to provide water which she said has become lucrative. The CS assured Mombasa and Taita Taveta governors that the government has already embarked on plans to construct the Mzima Spring Second phase whose work will begin soon. "I want to assure Governor Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa) and Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta) that the plan to start Mzima Spring second phase water pipe is on and work will start very soon," she said. She said this after Mwadime who is Taita said the pipes from Mzima Spring serving Coast counties were laid in 1952 and have outlived their usefulness. He said the pipes were leaking due to rust and asked the CS to make arrangements for a new pipeline.

Water CS says State will build 4,000 dams, remain in charge of the water sector

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Water CS says State will build 4,000 dams, remain in charge of the water sector

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