The government through the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF) has unveiled water projects targeting underserved communities in Tana River.
The projects under the Medium-Term Arid and Semi-Arid Programme (MTAP) will be implemented in six counties of Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, and Wajir.
According to WSTF the objective of the MTAP is to “Contribute to reduced poverty in the context of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and of safeguarding the state of the environment and promoting sustainable management of natural resources”.
The MTAP is intended to contribute towards empowerment, resilience, and food security in drought-prone areas and marginalized counties.
Speaking during a County Steering Group at the National Drought Management Authority boardroom in Hola Mr. Alex Ogeto, WHH Programme Officer said, “We will be doing projects in Wenje, Golbanti, and Ngao. In this project, we have also collaborated with the County Government in addition to the money given to us by the Water Sector Trust Fund.”
He said, “In water services in Wenje, we will dig one borehole equipped with a solar system, we will extend the pipeline up to Wenje Secondary, we will build an elevated tank of 100m3, and we will rehabilitate five water kiosks and build a new one.”
Two boreholes will be drilled in Golbanti and two elevated steel tanks.
Eight Ventilated Improved Pits (VIP) will be built in Golbanti and four in Wenje schools while 30 villages in Wenje and Golbanti will be targeted for Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS).
Two water pans of 30,000m3 targeting pastoralists will be constructed in the two project areas. More than 2000 tree fruit seedlings will be planted in Primary Schools.
In Tana River, the projects will take 21 months and be implemented by a consortium made up of Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH), Tana River Water and Sanitation Company (TAWASCO), and, Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO).
The project is jointly funded by the Water Sector Trust Fund Sh104.3M, Tana River County Government Sh.9.7M, and WHH Sh.1.2M.
The project has three thematic areas: water services, water resource management, and sanitation service.
Source: Kenya News Agency