Partners needed to increase Kakamega water supply

@ppcheti

The Kakamega government has urged development partners to help build water storage facilities.

Water executive Rodah Masaviru said this would enable residents to access clean and safe water at their doorstep.

The county is also seeking support to lower the cost of water production.

Masaviru said the county is keen on using solar power to cut the costs of electricity.

Speaking during a consultative forum on the Western Kenya Water Project (WKWP), she said they were also looking at smart metering to address the problem non-revenue water that is leaked or stolen.

“The governor has made water among his top agenda items and the plan is for every resident of Kakamega to have water at their doorstep," Masaviru said.

We are calling on development partners to support and stand with us to achieve this."

She said the county is keen to protect and conserve water springs and catchment areas to improve supply in Kakamega.

“Our commitment is to enhance urban water services and ensure there is a 24-hour water supply. while protecting the very sources of the water," she said.

Chief officers Phillip Otenyo (Water) and Eugene Wamalwa (Environment) said the initiative is timely and will go a long way in solving the county's water problems.

Kakamega County Water and Sanitation Company technical manager Celsus Shilehwa urged development partners to o upgrade infrastructure to reduce non-revenue water.

He said the company is currently upgrading its water pipeline to enable it to deal with burst pipes and leakages.

“We also need support in smart metering and digitising our system on Geography Information Systems (GIS) to monitor our pipelines to easily detect bursts and leakages," Shilehwa said.

KACWASCO customer service manager Mary Mariga said there is still inadequate water production, dilapidated infrastructure and inadequate transport.

Earlier this week, the company's top managers were taken through performance contract training as the firm seeks to improve efficiency and services.

During the training, performance contract expert Henry Wati said it is a freely negotiated agreement between the employer and employee to enhance performance.

KACWASCO commercial and finance manager Edwin Bukweye said the company is committed towards achieving its operational efficiency and revenue collection targets.

(Edited by V. Graham)