First Lady Rachel Ruto on Wednesday launched the drilling of a borehole in Unoa Comprehensive School in Makueni Subcounty to provide clean water for consumption and alleviate the water problem.
Mama Rachel said that the borehole that is being drilled will be up and running before children resume learning in third term.
She said the water will also be distributed to the community surrounding the school.
She further said that the water from the borehole will also assist the school to put up a kitchen garden in an effort to improve food security at the institution.
“Water from this borehole will improve sanitation, food security through kitchen gardens, nutrition, and enhance overall performance of the school,” Mama Rachel said while addressing learners at Unoa Comprehensive School after launching the drilling of the borehole.
The First Lady also said that the water from the borehole will be used to plant trees in an effort to meet the 15 billion trees target by 2032, and also plant grass at the Unoa Sports ground, which is very dusty.
During the event, she expressed her concern over the use of firewood in school kitchens that impacts negatively on the health of cooks and even learners.
In this regard, the First Lady urged schools to partner with stakeholders to acquire alternative sources of clean cooking energy to avert this worrying trend, noting that clean energy will promote environmental conservation.
“I will push for the adoption of clean cooking energy solution under the Ministry of Energy. Schools need to adopt clean cooking energy as a way to protect both health and the environment from desertification,” she observed.
Mama Rachel was fulfilling her promise that she had made during the commemoration of the Day of the African Child (DAC) on June 6, 2025, when she officiated the event at Unoa Sports Ground.
Speaking at the same event, Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Julius Korir said that the national government will construct a sewerage system at Wote town with funding from the African Development Bank (ADB).
During the launch, the First Lady was accompanied by the Principal Secretary State Department for Children Services Carren Ageng’o, Anita Mutula and Makueni County Commissioner Duncan Darusi.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Gender Sabastian Kyoni, his counterparts for Education and Water Japheth Mang’oka and John Kieti, among other government officials from both levels of government, were also present.
