SDA Church and Maranatha Volunteers Drill Boreholes Benefiting Thousands

Turkana: The North Rift Valley branch of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church, in partnership with Maranatha Volunteers International, has drilled new boreholes in Turkana County, benefiting approximately 30,000 people and 60,000 livestock. This Sh80 million project includes eight boreholes, of which six are fully functional while the others in Mala and Koono in Turkwel Ward were found to be saline and dry, respectively.

According to Kenya News Agency, Director of SDA Churches in East and West Kenya Region, the project involves surveying, drilling, water quality testing, equipping, and designing. She mentioned future plans to provide sponsorship programs for bright but needy students joining secondary schools and universities. David Maraka, Chief Officer for Water Services, stated that the county government is focusing on building the capacity of water management committees to ensure sustainable water use and is planning to restructure water supply management to Urban and Rural Water Companies.

Turkwell Ward MCA Steven Edukon praised the intervention by Maranatha Volunteers and the SDA Church, acknowledging their significant contribution to addressing water access challenges in Turkana. Edukon also pledged support for discussions to provide land for the construction of the SDA Church regional headquarters in Turkana. Paul Lotum, Director of Water Services, confirmed that the Water Department has deployed staff to the Sub-county level to ensure timely maintenance and operation of these facilities.