Residents of Bunyore West, in Emuhaya Sub-county of Vihiga have a reason to smile, after the commissioning of the Ipali water project.
Vihiga County Governor Dr. Wilber Ottichilo, said about 60 homes have been connected to clean and safe tap water in the First Phase of the project.
“Access to clean and safe water is one of my government’s priorities and our aim is to ensure that every household in the County is connected with tap water, to relieve them of the burden of walking long distances to fetch it from wells and rivers,” he stated.
The County Chief Officer (CO) for Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Richard Boiyo, advocated for planting of indigenous trees in order to protect water catchment areas.
However, Dr. Boiyo discouraged the people from planting eucalyptus species in wetlands and on river banks, as they have a high water uptake rate that would lead to drying up of the water sources.
He explained that the project is powered by solar panels to save on electricity costs.
The residents, just like many in other parts of the country, have for a long time been drawing water from unprotected wells.
By Sammy Mwibanda
