The County Government of Turkana, through the Department of Water Services, has expressed its support for Kakuma Water and Sanitation Company in its quest to obtain licensing and registration from the Water Services Regulations Board (WASREB).
At a meeting in Nairobi between the company’s representatives, the County Government, and the WASREB board of directors, the County Executive for Water Services, Faith Aletea, endorsed the move, terming it beneficial to both the company and the clients.
CECM Aletea emphasized the potential benefits for Kakuma residents, citing WASREB’s commitment to ensuring quality service and highlighting the importance of compliance with WASREB’s standards.
“As a county, we are keen on compliance. It is the only guarantee that beneficiaries will be served with the highest quality standards.
As such, we support the company in its engagement with WASREB in attaining the desired levels of compliance,” said CECM Aletea.
The company’s initiative aligns with its recent efforts to enhance services in Kakuma Municipality.
The appointment of Zacharia Etukon as the Acting Managing Director marked the beginning of a revitalization plan characterized by activities.
These included borehole test pumping, infrastructure repairs, public awareness campaigns on water bill payments, and staff capacity building in collaboration with USAID STAWI and the County Government.
The anticipated licensing is poised to open doors for the company, potentially facilitating access to funds and grants from the World Bank under the K-WASH and Horn of Africa for resilience projects.
The meeting was supported by USAID STAWI, a key partner in the WASH sector supporting the Kakuma based Water Service Provider.
Tito Ochieng, Turkana’s focal person for the K-WASH project, also attended the meeting.
Important to note that, WASREB licence is a statutory requirement that gives Water Service Provider (WSPs) the power to engage in water provision.
It is also a tool for regulating the sector, setting conditions of performance to be observed by WSPs.
Meza Mwanza