Over 5,000 residents of Kandutura, Rumuruti, Laikipia County, Kenya, have received relief from a Sh.5 million solar-powered water project by Habitat for Humanity Kenya.
Speaking to KNA in Rumuruti, residents reported that the water project has reduced the need for long journeys to obtain the precious commodity.
Eunice Lalapie, a resident reported that the water near Ngarenarok was contaminated due to farming along the river, causing her children to become sick from drinking unsafe water.
“We have really benefited from this water project, initially; we walked for longer distances in search of water. The water was polluted by sprays from people farming alongside the river and hence affecting our children,” said Lalapie.
She noted that apart from getting safe water for domestic use, they were also using it for farming to generate income to support their families.
‘’As women, our burden has been relieved; we get water close to our homestead. We can now practice farming of maize and vegetables. Through farming, we get money for women’s groups and school fees,” she told KNA.
On the other hand, she revealed that the water project had reduced human- wildlife conflict which was witnessed in the past as they competed for scarce water resources in the area.
Silas Lotira, a beneficiary of the Kandutura water project, reported that the project helped them save time and income by reducing their water fetching time. ‘’All our time was spent searching for water, if you go in the morning, returning back home is at dusk. With this project, we can now access water any time and do other activities, it’s benefiting over 5,000 people and we are grateful,” said Lotira.
Kandutura water project Chairman, Thomas Selman, revealed that initially, they purchased three jerriccans of water at a high cost of sh70, but the project has made water shortages a thing of the past.
By Muturi Mwangi
