Villagers at Lolkeringet, Mosop Constituency, have a reason to smile after a Switzerland-based man installed a multimillion water that benefits approximately 500 households.
Stephen Rugut said when he was a child at Lolkeringet village, walked several kilometers away to fetch water for domestic use and also for their animals.
He said it was for that reason that inspired his decision to redeem his village from water crisis.
The Sh.5 million project uses solar power to pump water from streams, bore holes and nearby rivers to the nearest points where it would be easily accessible to the villagers.
“I chose solar energy because of its harmless to the environment and also due to its sustainability with less maintenance cost once it is installed,” Rugut said.
To ensure his project was a success, Rugut inspected it once a year to ensure his village remains green and accessed reliable clean drinking water.
The villagers testified that springs, streams and rivers, which use to run out of water years back due to human activities, have restored because of Rugut’s indigenous forest initiative.
Rugut said at age 14, while still in primary school, he had started planting trees which he later used to fund his secondary education.
“At the time no one bothered so much about planting trees but I took the initiative that helped me to pay part of school fees in my secondary education,” Rugut said.
Rugut, now 55, has managed to buy close to 30 acres of land which has transformed the environment through aggressive indigenous tree planting.
“When I wanted to buy land, they always gave me hilly, rugged and unproductive land areas,” he said.
He said both indigenous and exotic trees were a source of traditional medicine for Lolkeringet villagers and its environs.
“I have also planted sisal on hilly areas to control soil erosion and help restore the land into more productive zones,” Rugut said.
Further, the forests were also a home of various birds, animals, and bee hives which produced plenty of honey.
By Geoffrey Satia
