Nakuru: Nakuru County Government has prioritized investments in water infrastructure, with a focus on integrating advanced technologies and materials that would ensure sustainability and resilience. Deputy Governor David Kones indicated that the County’s collaboration with national government agencies, development partners, Non-Governmental Organizations, and the private sector had significantly improved water supply infrastructure, ensuring more residents access the essential resource.
According to Kenya News Agency, Kones said the county government had renewed focus on improving water supply infrastructure through projects like drilling and rehabilitating boreholes, expanding pipelines, and promoting water-sensitive urban design, aiming to address water scarcity and improve access to clean water. The Deputy Governor emphasized the need to recognize and implement the requirements of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Article 43 (1), (b), (c), (d) provision, which guarantees reasonable standards of sanitation, freedom from hunger, and safe water in adequate quantities.
In the past two years, the county has successfully connected 15,500 new households to clean and safe drinking water by drilling and equipping over 60 boreholes, benefiting 77,500 people. To enhance sustainability, Governor Susan Kihika’s administration has solarized 45 boreholes, constructed 23 water kiosks, protected 13 springs across all 11 Sub-Counties, and supplied 43 tanks with a total capacity of 1,580,000 liters.
The Deputy Governor spoke during the commissioning of a new, state-of-the-art Water Drilling Rig, which will enable the drilling of an additional 70 boreholes in the region over the next two years, bringing the total to 130 boreholes. He voiced Governor Kihika’s administration commitment to expanding the scope of water coverage, enhancing the sustainability of projects, and understanding the role of every stakeholder in water, environment, sanitation, and climate change sectors.
Kones announced a significant public-private partnership aimed at revamping the county’s aged wastewater treatment and sewerage systems. The project, dubbed ‘The Lake Nakuru Biodiversity Conservation Project,’ will be funded through a Sh5.6 billion grant from the German Development Bank and will focus on increasing water supply, rehabilitating water reticulation systems, and revitalizing pipelines.
Additionally, the project will involve decommissioning the 63-year-old Kaloleni Waste Water Treatment Plant, redirecting its waste to the upgraded Njoro Treatment Works, which can process 20,000 cubic meters of water per day. The county is also undertaking policy, governance, and legal interventions to increase water storage and improve sanitation.
Kones highlighted the Drilling Rig’s efficiency, stating that it would reduce borehole drilling costs by 30 percent and that the equipment was capable of drilling over 10 boreholes per month to depths of 450 meters, significantly alleviating water scarcity in the 11 Sub-Counties. The County has expanded the water network through more than 100 water projects covering a total of 407 kilometers, increasing the population accessing clean and safe drinking water in Nakuru County to 62.3 percent.
The Deputy Governor underscored the importance of collaboration in tackling water challenges, focusing on strengthening efforts in collaborating with stakeholders and finding innovative solutions to improve water access and hygiene standards. Among the projects lined up to alleviate water shortage are the last mile water pipe connectivity to rural households from Itare Dam and the expansion of Turasha Dam in Gilgil.
The county faces a daily water supply shortfall, with demand estimated at 70,000 cubic meters per day, while current supply stands at 40,000 cubic meters. Partnerships among utilities and other government agencies are crucial to avoid rampant rationing. The County Government has partnered with Vitens Evides International to provide technical assistance to reduce non-revenue water from an average of 54 percent to 20 percent.
A Non-Revenue Water (NRW) audit revealed significant losses due to leaks, theft, and meter inaccuracies, resulting in monthly losses of over Sh40 million. The Water Services and Regulatory Board (WASREB) defines levels of NRW under 20 percent as good, 20-25 percent as acceptable, and over 25 percent as not acceptable. The World Health Organization estimates that sub-Saharan Africa loses an equivalent of four percent of its GDP due to inadequate water supply and sanitation, exacerbating water and sanitation challenges.