Nairobi: The Kenya Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Programme (K-WASH) Project Implementation Unit has laid a strategy on the development of the County Water and Sanitation Strategy and Investment Plan intended to serve as a roadmap for increasing water access in hard-to-reach areas across the county. K-WASH is a six-year initiative (2024-2030), funded by the World Bank and the National Government, aimed at improving access to clean water and sanitation in 19 counties, including Turkana.
According to Kenya News Agency, the program also seeks to enhance sanitation and support rural villages in achieving open defecation-free certification. The unit has submitted eight projects for consideration in this financial year, targeting 2,417 households. The proposed projects will focus on improving water infrastructure. 'Let's make K-WASH a great program as it serves the vulnerable persons in the society,' said Willyjustus Lopeyok, County Executive Committee member for Water Services. He noted that Turkana Rural Water and Sanitation Company stood to benefit significantly from the rural-focused K-WASH programme.
Chief Officer for Water Services, Mark Achila, highlighted the twelve K-WASH disbursement-linked indicators, such as water services, operational efficiencies, and school sanitation, as key areas the unit would need to conceptualize moving forward. 'The program depends on performance in water provision, sanitation, coordination with the national government, and a strong monitoring and evaluation framework,' he said. Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Janerose Tioko, assured the unit members that the preventive department would coordinate closely on program implementation. She also emphasized sanitation, as Turkana is among the 15 high-burden counties still grappling with open defecation.
According to County K-WASH Coordinator Tito Ochieng, a series of workshops had been scheduled in the coming weeks to develop the strategy document so as to begin implementing the proposed projects. The meeting also had representatives from the Department of Refugee Services, the National Ministry of Education, the Department of Health, Turkana Rural Water and Sanitation Company, and Turkana Urban Water and Sewerage Company.