Adequate water supply will ensure success of Big Four

We may differ on the source of life. Some may argue that it is love, others swear that it is God. These are all valid opinions, yet they are deeply rooted in the spiritual realm. If one goes back to the scientific base, then there is one element that stands out above all others. A little hint: It’s the one scientists and astronauts have been searching for all over the solar system as a proof that life outside of planet earth is possible.

I am referring, of course, to water.

Potable water is essential for us, and most other organisms, to function. Human settlement usually follows the flow of it. Water was so important to early humans that many historic rituals in cultures around the world centred around it.

As a country on the equator, most of Kenya used to be blessed with ample rain. Yet recently, we have begun to be hit by devastating droughts more and more frequently.

We, therefore, need to think more actively about water and the whole economic system behind it if we want to provide solutions to this natural disaster.

A recent report by Nation NewsPlex showed how important water is for the economy of a nation as well as for the health of its citizens. Water is a staple good for the manufacturing sector, which is one of Kenya’s biggest employers.

Improved water supply will reduce the cost of production and increase investment. Luckily, as one of the pillars of the Big Four Agenda, the growth of our local manufacturing sector is a top priority for State House.

As a first step, governmental engineers have installed infrastructure which allows most of the water used today in Kenya to be recycled. This “grey water” can then be used for manufacturing processes, but also for gardening or flushing.

In order to streamline the process of smart water use for manufacturing, the President pushed for the establishment of the Kenya Industrial Water Alliance (KIWA). Reuniting all the stakeholders, including the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), the Waters Resources Management Authority (Warma) and Kenya 2030 Water Resources Group, KIWA is an important piece in the puzzle of the success of the President’s Big Four Agenda. Only when all Kenyans are united behind these goals, and work together to achieve them, can we succeed in building a better future for our children.

Of course, improving the infrastructure of the water supply does not only help the manufacturing sector. While many think that Universal Health Care (UHC) is President Kenyatta's only programme in the healthcare section of the Big Four, in reality the provision of potable and clean water is also integral to the strategy to reduce child mortality.

This takes a more holistic approach. As there are countless influences on our health, there are also countless levers to be moved in order to improve it. Clean and potable water is definitely part of it. It is encouraging that children’s diarrhoea-related deaths, caused by polluted water, Kenya steadily decreased preventable deaths.

Of course, improved water infrastructure, which decreases the amount of liquid lost in its system, will also benefit the agriculture and help to establish food security. Thus, the ambitious national water plan with Vision 2030 targets, not only to assure the success of the Big Four Agenda, but also for Kenya to reach its goal of joining the club of middle-income economies by 2030.