KENYA – The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has approved KSh1.2 billion (US$10.5 million) in funding for Kenya.
The country’s Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund) will reinvest the funds in the construction of water and sanitation infrastructure in six counties.
“This funding is in addition to the KSh3.5 billion (US$30.74 million) already provided by the Danish government to provide water services to eight counties in Kenya,” says Elizabeth Matioli.
Kenya’s WaterFund will redistribute the funding among six arid and semi-arid (Asal) counties including Garissa, Lamu, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and Turkana. Each area will receive about KSh150 million (US$1.3 million) to expand its water supply system as the counties experience a prolonged drought that is undermining people’s livelihoods.
“The ministry is urging the six selected counties to move quickly to commit and sign a memorandum of understanding with the WaterFund, contributing 10% in cash and 5% in kind of about 150 million Kenyan shillings allocated to each county,” said Andrew Tuimur, the chief administrative secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation.
The Kenyan government will choose between water service providers, local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations or a consortium of different partners to carry out the work.
The new project in Kenya also includes a sanitation component. The Kenyan government’s goal is to increase the country’s sanitation rate to 40% by the end of 2022 from the current 20%.
The launch of the program for sustainable management of, and access to, water and sanitation in Kenya is scheduled for July 2022. The work will extend until 2027.
The funding agreement was signed on February 18, 2022, in Naivasha between the Chief Administrative Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Andrew Tuimur and Elizabeth Matioli, the Program Officer at the Danish Embassy in Nairobi.
NamWater to build drinking water plant
In Namibia, the government is planning to build a drinking water plant in Oshakati, a town located in the Oshana region in the north of the country. Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) will carry out the project.
Namibia is moving towards its goal of improving the supply of clean water to its people. The Namibian government has announced plans to build a drinking water plant in Oshakati, a town in the Oshana region in the north of the country.
The state-owned Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) will implement the project, in collaboration with the consulting firms Shah Technical Consultants Private and Water Resources Consultants.
The project is part of the Namibian Water Sector Support Program. In March 2020, the African Development Bank (AfDB) allocated more than US$125 million to the Namibian government for the program. The funding comes from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative Trust Fund (RWSSI-TF).
The financial institution estimates that all components of the Namibia Water Sector Support Program will be implemented by 2024, providing over one million people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation services.
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