Vihiga residents will soon start to fully quench their thirst once a multimillion Vihiga County Water Supply Programme is completed.
The Programme which comprises of Kaimosi, Mbale and Maseno water projects has been funded by the government of Belgium to the tune of Sh 2 billion.
Speaking after inspecting the Mbale and Kaimosi water projects on Friday, Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary (CS) Sicily Kariuki confirmed that almost 80 percent of the work is done and soon the programme would be handed over to the government.
The CS urged all leaders from the region to support implementation of the projects, since provision of clean drinking water to the public is a shared function.
The project, launched in July 2018, was expected to be handed over to the government by October 2019 but due to minor operational issues, as stated by the CS, residents have not yet started harvesting the fruits of the programme.
The Mbale water project had delayed to start due to land ownership issues but engagements between the County government and relevant agencies resulted to a compromise being struck.
“The challenges delaying the completion of this programme are what I can call minor issues which do not need formulation of new policies. It is on this note that I appeal to all stakeholders to ensure that they play their part with a motive of ensuring that this program is achieved,” she rallied.
Urging the contractor to speed up the works, the CS warned that the government would no longer be tempted to extend the duration for the construction of the projects expected to be handed over by December 2020.
“This programme is long overdue. Therefore, I want the contractor to note that this time round, there will be no time extension. We want the public to start benefiting from the projects,” she said.
The CS added that once completed, close to 395,000 people from Vihiga County and neighbouring counties stood to benefit.
Present during the inspection exercise was Vihiga County Commissioner Ochillo Oyugi among other government officials.
By Isaiah Nayika
