OloKurto residents finally have water closer to home

Mary Muntet, Oloserian Community Member, and KBL Managing Director Andrew Kilonzo. [Julius Chepkwony, Standard]

For families in Oloserian Mao, fetching water has long been part of the daily routine — and, for many, a costly and time-consuming one.

 Previously, residents would walk long distances in search of water, buy it when available or turn to sources whose safety could not always be guaranteed.

Women and children often carried much of the burden, spending hours on a task that left less time for school, household responsibilities and productive work. That reality is beginning to change.

 More than 8,000 residents of the Oloserian Mao community in OloKurto, Narok North Constituency, are set to benefit from a new community water project commissioned on Wednesday, giving households, a local school and farmers access to a more reliable source of clean water.

 Supported by the EABL Foundation and implemented in partnership with Ja Gedo Innovations and Frisco Engineering, the project includes a borehole, a 24-cubic-metre elevated water tank mounted on a 12-metre tower, and a solar-powered water and irrigation system.

Oloserian Mao Secondary School and surrounding households are among the immediate beneficiaries.

 For residents, however, the project's value is measured less in infrastructure and more in the difference it can make to everyday life.

 “We are very happy to have water here. When the water ran out, we had to go to other places to look for it. We spent a lot of time and money getting water, and sometimes the water was not safe for our children," said OloKurto resident Regina Nkoriompai.

 Her words capture a challenge that has shaped life in the community for years: water has not simply been a matter of convenience, but one that has affected household finances, health and the time available to families.

Richard Kishoiyan, chairman of the community Water Management Committee, said residents had previously approached several organisations for help before the project was supported by the EABL Foundation.

 “We used to spend a lot of money buying water, and sometimes the water was not safe. Today, we are privileged to witness EABL Foundation responding to our request. We are receiving water, and water is life,” he said.

 The project comes with a responsibility for the community.

 Thirteen members of the local Water Management Committee have been trained to oversee the water system, promote responsible use and help safeguard the infrastructure.

 EABL Foundation in a statement said the investment forms part of its broader support for communities around its areas of engagement, with a focus on initiatives that contribute to sustainable livelihoods and community wellbeing.

Kenya Breweries Limited Managing Director Andrew Kilonzo said the project was intended to address the wider effects of unreliable water access.

“Reliable water is essential not only for health and sanitation, but also for education, livelihoods and the ability of communities to realise their full potential,” he said during the commissioning ceremony.

 Its solar-powered irrigation component is expected to give households an opportunity to increase food production and strengthen their livelihoods, helping residents move beyond simply meeting their daily water needs.