14 Jan Lessos Water Supply and Sanitation project

The project involved construction of a new treatment Works with a capacity of 600m3 per day to supply water to Kesses and Lessos urban centers and their environs, in addition to construction of four Water Kiosks along the distribution line in order to reach more and more consumers. On sanitation, a number of Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrines will be constructed within the project area.

Local people are livestock farmers and a hence a big relief with the provision of clean and reliable water. Lessos Trading Centre used to be served by a surface water supply system which was constructed in 1966 and rehabilitated under the Kenya Finland Corporation (KEFINCO) programme in 1990. Its source of water was at a small dam constructed on a tributary of Kirobi River, located along Kesses-Lessos road. Over the years, the population had grown and overstretched the supply capacity which led to irregular and inadequate of water in the region. The project came just in time as supply from the old treatment works could not meet the demand of the region.

The new supply involved rehabilitation of the water intake on Kesses Dam, raw water pumping main, storage tank, pump house, gravity main, distribution system, water kiosks and expansion of existing distribution network in Lessos trading centre of approximately four kilometres. On sanitation, the project involved expansion of on-plot sanitation (public VIP latrines) and hygiene campaigns.