Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has commissioned a Sh23 million water project with a 16.8 km pipeline extension from Mwakalanga Dam to Kilimangodo and its environs within Mwereni Ward, Lunga Lunga Sub County.
Governor Achani says the commissioned water project would serve 400 households with clean piped water meant for domestic and agricultural purposes.
Achani said that her administration was working to ensure that people in all parts of the coastal county had access to potable water.
She noted that with the commissioning of the water project, the health care and hygiene of the people of the area would improve.
Residents say that for a very long time, they faced prolonged water shortage due to the area being a semi-arid zone.
Scarcity of water in the area limited residents’ access to safe water for drinking and practicing basic hygiene at home, schools and healthcare facilities.
She called on the residents to own the county projects by ensuring its protection against vandalism and any form of misuse so that the expected benefits would reach the people adding that the county government would ensure regular maintenance of the facilities.
The Governor also presided over the groundbreaking of Msindeni borehole in Kinondo ward, Msambweni Sub County at a cost of Sh3.5 million and is set to benefit over 300 households.
Achani said the county government has started the construction of multipurpose dam projects and schemes to provide safe and potable drinking water to the communities and enable dry season irrigation.
The coastal county’s main sources of water are boreholes, underground, springs, dams, water pans and rock catchments.
She spoke when she launched Kilibasi (439,606.09 cubic metres) and Mwangoloto (25,000 cubic metres) dam projects in the arid Kinango sub county.
Once complete, the new dams will help locals to access water for domestic use and agricultural activities during dry seasons.
She says with the alarming effects of climate change; it was clear that recurrent drought has become a common phenomenon that required mitigation measures.
Achani says the devolved government would concentrate on creating more water pans and dams in arid and semi-arid areas to fight drought and resource scarcity.
She said the two dam projects were expected to make a significant impact in ensuring water sustainability in the region.
Achani appealed to the people to take ownership of the water projects and ensure that they were well maintained and protected from vandals.
She also urged them to desist from acts that could contaminate the water especially through open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of trash among others.
Achani who was accompanied by her Deputy Chirema Kombo, Lunga Lunga MP Mangale Chiforomodo and Water Executive Hemed Mwabudzo says Kwale has been facing water scarcity issues for decades affecting both humans and livestock.
She said by providing water throughout the year, the dams would come in handy during dry spells and support local livelihoods based on farming and livestock.
“Acute water scarcity in Kwale has been a recurring problem for decades which my administration seeks to end,” she said.
She says the devolved government is involved in the rehabilitation, expansion and upgrading of water projects aimed at addressing water and sanitation challenges in the region.
The coastal county boss says that her administration has prioritised the water sector so that residents could access clean and safe water for livestock, farming and human consumption.
She says apart from animals and human consumption the water reservoir would also go into dry season farming to ensure food and nutrition security.
The Governor urged the locals to protect and value the water dams as it provides the most precious resource to them and their livestock and agricultural activities.
On his part, MP Chiforomodo welcomed the efforts by the county government to establish the water projects stating that the development would mark the end to perennial water scarcity in the region.
The legislator also charged the beneficiaries of the water schemes to take full ownership of the projects and protect them from vandalism.
He encouraged the county to continue to inaugurate projects to complement existing water schemes until all the people had access to potable water.
By Hussein Abdullahi and Salim Abdallah
