World Bank, Mozambique delegation visits Kirinyaga to study innovative rural water model

The delegation visited the eWATER project in Gathigiriri Ward, Mwea, where it examined the system’s approach to community participation, water conservation, affordable tariffs and technology-enabled water distribution.

Kirinyaga County has worked with eWATER since 2019 to improve access to safe water in areas that previously relied largely on untreated sources. Under the arrangement, eWATER designs, finances and installs smart water systems, while the county provides infrastructure, land access and regulatory support.

Speaking during the visit to Kiriko Village, Kirinyaga County Executive Committee Member for Environment Kinyua Mutugi said the project had installed 177 community smart taps, 83 household connections and six institutional connections in Gathigiriri Ward.

The network serves about 17,000 people across seven villages, with residents paying Sh5 for a 20-litre jerrycan of treated water.

Mutugi said the project demonstrated how partnerships between county governments and private operators could help extend water services to communities that had previously been left underserved.

Kirinyaga has also invested in water infrastructure through its own programmes. Governor Anne Waiguru said the county had allocated Ksh200 million in each of the last and current financial years for water projects, in addition to investments made through partnerships.

The county is implementing 38 water projects in the current financial year and has undertaken more than 70 projects across various wards.

Waiguru said additional eWATER projects were being implemented in Mahigaini, Kirogo, Kamucege and parts of Tebere to provide treated water to about 7,000 residents.

The visiting delegation said Kirinyaga was selected as part of efforts to identify practical approaches that could be adapted to improve rural water access in Mozambique.

Chantul Richey, a World Bank representative from Mozambique, said the delegation was studying Kenya’s experience in extending water services to rural communities as part of a wider rural development programme.

“We always talk about how Kenya is good at distributing water in rural areas and how the systems work and are different, innovative and affordable,” Richey said.

Caudina Bebane, project coordinator of the Agua Segura project in Mozambique, said the delegation was particularly interested in the role communities play in managing water services.

She said the visit provided an opportunity to examine how communities participate in water management, how tariffs are structured and what encourages consumers to pay for services.

For residents of Gathigiriri, the system has provided an alternative to irrigation canals that were previously used as domestic water sources.

Freshia Wambui, a resident of Kiriko Village and an eWATER consumer, said residents previously collected water from canals exposed to agricultural and animal waste as well as sewage.

“Before eWATER, we used to consume water from the canals, which was very dirty. It was possible to find used diapers and other waste in the water,” she said.

Wambui said access to treated water had improved hygiene in the village and reduced cases of waterborne illnesses.

Under the eWATER system, residents use mobile money to top up their water tags and pay according to the amount of water consumed.

The company says it operates in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and The Gambia, and has dispensed more than 1.5 billion litres of water to about 380,000 people over the past decade.

The visit comes as Kirinyaga and other counties explore partnerships and technology-based approaches to address gaps in rural water infrastructure and improve access to safe and affordable water.