This year’s World Water Day scheduled for March 22 will be celebrated along the border of West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties in a move to help cement good relations among the feuding communities.
Speaking during preparation meetings held at the Water Offices in Kapenguria, North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency (NRVWWDA) CEO Edwin Rotich spelled the importance of the Day mentioning that it will be a big forum for leaders and various stakeholders to highlight the need for peace in the areas.
“The day will be of significance for it will be used to preach peace around the area because water scarcity has been viewed as one of the causes of human conflict. We want to ensure that the two areas have water and peace at the same time,” said Rotich.
He added that the choice of the venue was informed by the need to have peace that translates into the sharing of resources for sustainable development.
Mentioning that this year’s theme “Leveraging Water for Peace” aims at engaging leaders from the North Rift Region where Baringo County is also among the invitees.
The day will also see the Ministry of Water commission the Liter and Cheptulel Water Supply Projects in Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot Counties respectively that are under the same funding.
“Although the event had initially been scheduled to be held in Chesogon in West Pokot, through consultations with stakeholders it was decided that it be held at the border zone that is Liter Primary school in Elgeyo Marakwet County,” stated the CEO adding that water is a very key component in promoting peace.
There have been frequent conflicts along the borders of the four counties of West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Turkana prompting leaders to come up with modalities for ending such hostilities with the celebration of this year’s World Water Day being one of them.
North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency covers four counties Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana, and West Pokot.
The CEO has urged members of the public from both West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties to attend in large numbers so that they can listen to peace messages from their leaders.
By Richard Muhambe and Erickson Kiprotich
