Kenya has low sewerage cover, says Water CS Wamalwa

Pupils of Kipreres Primary School in Bomet County tap water to quench their thirst during this year’s World Water Day that was marked yesterday. The event was attended by Governor Isaac Ruto. [Photo: Gilbert Kimutai/Standard]

The country has a sewerage cover of 25 per cent against a population of 40 million people.

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa Wednesday said the country's waste management is increasingly becoming a huge financial burden.

The waste, he said, could water down efforts being made in environmental conservation, a situation that needs urgent intervention as it is a threat to people's health.

The CS was speaking Wednesday at Mecheo in Nyamira County during celebrations to mark this year's World Water Day.

Mr Wamalwa said the country was struggling to increase coverage of sewerage systems as a major intervention towards addressing the glaring challenge.

He said his ministry had embarked on fostering a strategy that would see all water projects initiated by the State incorporated with sewerage systems.

Treatment plant

"We are aware of the low sewerage coverage that does not correspond with the water supply coverage and for this reason, we are deliberately focusing on matching every new supply project with a sewerage treatment plant whose capacity is higher," Wamalwa said.

He said about 80 per cent of water with various mixtures of unclassified substances ends up being released to the environment without being treated. "This impacts negatively on the surroundings as well as human lives," he said.

Water Principal Secretary Fred Sigor said some of the measures to be adopted to reverse the situation include reducing contaminants at sources, collecting and treating of contaminants from waste water, reusing treated water for various purposes and recovering usable by-products from the water.

Lake Victoria Water Services Board Chief Executive Officer Petronila Ogutu said the board had taken up the responsibility of enhancing sewerage management.

-Reporting by Stanley Ongwae, Renson Mnyamwezi and Benadeta Mwaura