Government will build 4,000 dams in seven years, says CS

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome (left) when she joined guests during the launch of a Water Impact Plan during Kenya Water and Sanitation International Conference and Exhibition at Whitesands Beach Hotel in Mombasa on June 19, 2021. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

The government will build over 4,000 dams over the next seven years to increase the availability of safe water, according to Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome.

Ms Wahome noted the dams, ranging from large, medium and small water pans, are part of promises which Kenya Kwanza gave during the campaigns.

She also declared water would remain a national government affair and invited the private sector to invest in the water supply to supplement government efforts.

She said Kenya Kwanza pledged 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 realise the ultimate goal by President William Ruto to ensure that in the next seven years, provision of water and sanitation services for all Kenyans is achieved as part of the bottom-up economic transformation agenda," she said.

Locally and globally

Ms Wahome was addressing over 1,000 delegates, drawn from the water sector locally and globally, during the Kenya Water and Sanitation International Conference and Exhibition 2023 at Sarova Whitesands Beach Hotel in Mombasa.

The weeklong conference entitled; "Harnessing Technology and Innovation to accelerate access to safely managed water and Sanitation for All," 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 provider followed by Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company.

Ms Wahome said to fulfil the pledge, the state will construct 100 large dams, 1,000 medium dams and over 4,000 dams and water pans.

She said President Ruto's pledge is also in line with the Constitution which says it is the right of every Kenyan to have access to clean safe water.

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.

Reasonable standard

"This is reflected in our 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.

She urged those in the water sector to be proactive and innovative in the use of technology to make every Kenyan access water.

Wahome 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.

She 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 Paul Ronoh and his Irrigation counterpart Ephantus 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.

Players to partner

She also called on private sector players to partner with the county governments to provide water.

The CS assured Mombasa and Taita Taveta governors that the government has already embarked on plans to construct the Mzima Spring second phase.

"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 said the pipes from Mzima Spring serving Coast counties were laid in 1952 and have outlived their usefulness.