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“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water”
These words, spoken by the American founding father Benjamin Franklin 250 years ago, have turned out to be true.
The primary challenges facing our country in terms of sustainability has been access to water. At least a third of Kenya’s population nation does not have access to clean water.
We might think of this as a problem only plaguing particular less developed parts of the country. However, even the capital city Nairobi suffers from water shortages.
The Ndakaini Dam that supplies the capital with water was recently recorded as only having 45 per cent of the water it would require to adequately support the needs of Nairobi residents. The government has been fighting to provide clean water to the citizens.
Besides drinking, water plays a great role in the mining, manufacturing and food production.
President Uhuru |Kenyatta has put “access to safe and clean water for all” one of his top priorities after being elected in 2013.
He also included this in the Big 4 agenda.
He recently merged the State Department for Irrigation with the State Department for Water and Sanitation and establishing a The Ministry of Water & Sanitation and Irrigation. This change has important budgetary implications. The president promised to strengthen the offices tasked with keeping our water resources clean and preventing plastic pollution.
The government has similarly been leveraging his international relationships to put the issue of Kenyan water security on the international agenda.
A recent high-profile international organisation visit took place in the Northern Frontier to address this issue.
Advocated for by the Kenya government and facilitated by the United Nations and specifically the UNDP supported Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC), this visit was aimed at helping international donors understand the challenges facing the counties.
Instead of only focusing on aid, the government has looked for sustainable and creative solutions to the water problem.
That was the reasoning behind his decision, with Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui in August 2019, to send 96 young leaders to Israel.
The first programme was a success, and this 11-month seminar also gave some of our students the chance to learn about cutting edge developments in water security from a desert country.
Finally, the government has been working to ensure our farmers’ access to advanced technology that facilitates optimal use of the water we have access to.
This includes focusing on irrigation techniques which use water efficiently, assisting our farmers in safely storing water during the rainy season and bringing in expert horticulturists to help our farmers grow crops which require less water.
The positive impact that technology can have on addressing our lack of water is tremendous.
Working with international and private sector partners will enable us become a country in which all citizens have equal access to clean water.
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