All the eleven sub counties in Turkana will be allocated a rig machine and staff dedicated for drilling works once the Turkana County Assembly approves a proposal dubbed ‘one sub County one rig’ by the County CECM for Water Services, Patrick Losike Lokaimoe.
According to the CECM, the proposal aims to increase the fleet of drilling rigs from the current two to eleven over the next three financial years between 2024-2025 and 2026-2027 in a bid to achieve long-term water security for the county’s residents.
The proposal was presented to the Budgets and Appropriation Committee of Turkana County Assembly, where CECM Lokaimoe emphasized the critical need for additional drilling rigs to meet the county’s water access goals.
Reports over the last two decades by both state and non-state actors on water access in Turkana persistently indicated the challenge of water scarcity attributable to the mild to extreme aridity weather conditions, citing ground water as a formidable source following the discovery of the massive Lotikipi acquifers in Turkana West and several smaller acquifers in Turkana North, South and Central.
The CECM highlighted the importance of ‘One sub County one drilling machine” initiative in supporting Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai’s priority agenda of achieving water sufficiency.
He stressed that having dedicated drilling equipment and skilled personnel in each sub-county is vital for ensuring consistent and reliable access to water.
In his support for the initiative, Chief Officer for Water Services, Simon Etom, called for creation of a budget line dedicated to drilling machine management.
The Chief Officer emphasized that regular maintenance and repairs are crucial due to the machines’ tendency to break down.
The Chief Officer added that the proposal also advocated for a shift in procurement methods from the traditional request-for-quotation (RFQ) system to a framework agreement approach.
Chief Officer explained that the framework agreement was more adaptable to the complexities that often arise in tendering of water supply services.
In his support for the initiative, Director for Water Services, Paul Lotum, said that a brief trial of decentralizing the drilling rigs had led to successful completion of borehole drilling projects over the last one year.
According to Director Lotum, ‘One sub County one drilling machine,’ would facilitate both county-led and partner-initiated water projects.
Director Lotum also appealed for funding for Turkana’s new water companies to facilitate the takeover of management of water schemes, for improved service delivery in both Urban and Rural areas as envisioned in the Turkana Water Act of 2019.
The Chair of the Assembly Committee, Patrick Napion, noted that the request for more drilling rigs had emerged as a priority from public participation exercises conducted across the county’s thirty wards.
“The public has clearly voiced the need for more drilling rigs and continuous drilling of boreholes. We are committed to considering this request,” Napion said.
Citing devolution evidence from various counties and the nation, Director of Administration at Water Services, Eskuku Imana, said that positioning of resources and facilities at the lower levels has positively spurred development in those areas.
Meza Mwanza 
IAN BYRON