14 Jan Chwele – Sirisia Water Supply Project in Bungoma County

This follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the KOICA Kenya Office and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources jointly with the Lake Victoria North Water Services Board (LVNWSB) on the 28th March, 2014 for the project of Improvement of Water Supply System in Sirisia and Chwele, of Bungoma County. The project is intended to improve the living conditions of the intended beneficiaries by increasing access to quality and affordable water and sanitation services in the project area.

The Sirisia Chwele Water Project which was rolled out in May this year will be implemented for a period of five years and is designed to benefit over fifty thousand residents of Bungoma County. It involves construction of a new water supply system including a water treatment plant with a capacity of 2,000m3/day, a (36km) water supply pipe work, seven (7) water kiosks, and several communal water points at select primary schools in the project’s target area.

Other components of the project include an educational centre which will be constructed at one of the selected schools and a training and exhibition center for public promotions. In order to increase awareness of safe water use and healthy hygiene and sanitation practices, the programme incorporates awareness and sensitization activities which include production and distribution of information, communication and educational materials to schools and the targeted beneficiaries, in addition to undertaking hygiene and sanitation campaigns in the project area of Bungoma County.

Similar projects implemented in many developing countries have often failed to achieve their originally intended purposes owing to challenges of management and sustainability. In order to address this, the project has been designed to be fully gravitational, all the way from the intake to the distribution networks. This means that there will be reduced cost of operation and maintenance since electricity consumption in the supply system will be bare minimum.

Further, KOICA shall undertake capacity buildings in financial and technical skills required for the management of the water facility, for the Kenyan officials and engineers who will be involved in the implementation and operationalization of the project upon completion. This will ensure that the right technical and management skills are put in place in the management of the completed water supply system for guaranteed sustainability.

The Sirisia Chwele Water Supply Project is an indication of KOICA’s passion in addressing global development and improving the quality of life in developing countries, and will contribute immensely to the attainment of the Lake Victoria North Water Services Board’s mandate of provision of adequate, quality and affordable water and sanitation services.