Gov’t sets aside Ksh.1 trillion to ensure all Kenyans have access to water by 2030

The government has announced that plans are at an advanced stage to ensure all Kenyans in their homes access water by the year 2030.

Speaking on Wednesday after the official launch and ground checking of the Suswa-Narok Water Project following the destruction by floods, Principal Secretary at the State Department for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Julius Korir assured that the Ksh.1 trillion project will be completed under the Universal Connection to Water Project as the government continues to recover financially.

PS Korir added that this year’s total budget for water is Ksh.32 billion, out of which Ksh.23 billion is courtesy of donors such as the World Bank and the Africa Development Bank, while Ksh.7 billion is from the government and the rest from other partners.

“We have plans to ensure every Kenyan is connected to water at their homes. We have set aside Ksh.1 trillion that by 2030 for that project. That is the only big challenge we are facing as a nation. As a ministry, we are exploring all ways to raise that money to fasten universal water connection,” said the PS.

The Suswa project will be completed with a total of Ksh.125 million in two phases, where key areas among them Ole Tipis-Suswa-Duka Moja-Nareboo and Suswa-Duka Moja shall receive the product for further supply.

Narok East Member of Parliament Ken Aramat on his part took issue with Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu for allegedly taking credit of national water projects, reminding him to instead stick to county water projects.

“We should tell the Governor to differentiate between national government and county functions. This Suswa project is from the national government,” he said.

Reuben Korir, Managing Director of the Nakuru Water and Sanitation Service, who had also accompanied them, assured that his office shall deliver its mandate in the project following a Presidential directive over the same.

“Our work is to ensure the water project is complete in time. The first phase will be to install the pump and repair pipelines and the second phase will be to erect the main pipeline up to Duka Moja,” Korir stated.