Makueni: Makueni County Secretary Dr. Justin Kyambi has called upon the water sector stakeholders to have a unified approach in tackling the water problem with a view of getting lasting solutions. Consequently, Dr. Kyambi said in achieving lasting solutions, there was a need to have coordinated efforts from all stakeholders including the government, development partners, communities, non-governmental organizations, and state agencies.

According to Kenya News Agency, the Makueni County Government, through the Department of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, organized a forum that brought together over 25 stakeholders. These included both levels of government, development partners, non-governmental organizations, private sector, state agencies, and water providers to explore interventions to alleviate the water problem. 'As a government, we are committed to providing water to the residents and the governor is focused on this sole agenda. This calls for all of us to put our efforts together in achieving the goal of provision of clean water to the people,' said Dr. Kyambi while opening a water forum in a hotel in Wote town.

The forum provided a platform to align Makueni water initiatives with the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 Vision. The Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Engineer John Kieti emphasized the importance of implementing digital meters and payment systems across all projects undertaken by the government and development partners to help in water usage, billing, and reduce wastage.

During the forum, stakeholders agreed on the necessity for all water sector stakeholders to collaborate in a well-coordinated, inclusive, and integrated development approach. This involves aligning projects with both national and county policies for sustainability, reviewing partnerships, MOUs, and sectoral policies for better service delivery, and developing clear guidelines for public-private partnerships in water management. Enhanced coordination between the county, national, and WASH stakeholders was also highlighted as crucial.

Also present at the forum were CECM for Devolution Nicholas Nzioka, Chief Officer Water and Sanitation David Makau, and Director Water Governance Caroline Ngina, among others.