USAID is set to spend dollars 966,531 to fund various health and water projects in Kitui County in efforts to improve health services and provision of clean water in the county.
USAID Mission Director for Kenya Mr. David Gosney disclosed the aid package when he paid a courtesy call on Kitui Governor Dr Julius Malombe in his office in Kitui town.
The USAID Director further said that the meeting with the Governor addressed areas of possible working relationship including drought response, water and sanitation, the nutrition sector and healthcare services in different areas of Kitui County; Kitui South, Kitui East, Mwingi North and Kitui rural.
The project ending July 14th, 2023 is being implemented through a grant from USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
The elaborate plan will see USAID through Jhpiego install an oxygen plant at Mwingi Level 4 Hospital and further install piping to all departments in the health facility and sign a service contract of 2 years to boost healthcare services at the facility.
At least 20 public institutions among them primary schools and health centres in drought affected hotspots will benefit from water trucking services to ease the challenge of water scarcity in the institutions.
The project will benefit the county with 35 (10,000L) emergency water tanks and 271,755 sachets of water purification chemicals and further carry out routine water quality assessments at household level in drought affected areas.
“Some 120 health workers will be trained on revised integrated management of acute malnutrition guidelines and an additional 300 CHVs trained on community based management of acute malnutrition,” said Malombe.
He added that Sub-County health management teams will also be facilitated to conduct monitoring and support supervision of activities and conduct integrated outreaches to hard- to -reach areas across Kitui.
“The initiatives in this collaboration are among the many activities the county will carry out with support of partners to better the lives of Kitui people,” the governor affirmed.
By Denson Mututo
