Water Board Improves Supply to Fight Covid-19

A state agency in the water sector has joined the fight against Covid-19 by boosting supply in eight counties of the North Rift region.
Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency (CRVWWDA) is keen on rehabilitating water supply systems including boreholes and pipelines in an effort to compliment the government’s fight against the spread of the pandemic.
According to the Water Board Engineer in charge of Water and Environment Philip Kimeli, the agency was responding to the government’s directive to state agencies to support the fight against the spread of the disease.
The board has also launched a hand washing campaign as a way of supporting the measures spelt out by the state to combat the spread of the diseases.
The counties under their purview and that will benefit from the programme include Nakuru, Narok, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Turkana.
“We are also repairing boreholes and distributing water to far flung areas using water bowsers so as to boost hand washing campaign,” he added.
Kimeli made the remarks Tuesday during the launch of the hand washing campaign at Kaptimbor health Centre in Baringo County which is the county’s main isolation centre for the disease.
He further added that the agency is setting up over 300 such centres in the region to compliment efforts by the counties and national government in the fight against spread of the pandemic.
“Today we have donated 30 tanks with a capacity of 1500 litres each to be distributed by the county government of Baringo at strategic points and also soaps for the same purpose,” said the engineer.
He added that it was important for them to ensure that their clients are well catered for during this time and that they will boost efforts to ensure there is consistent supply of water to their clients.
Kimeli cautioned the public that the disease is real, affecting all races and not white people only, thus everyone should be keen on the safety measures outlined by the government.
“As a department of Water Ministry we have lost one of our own consultant to the coronavirus disease,” said Kimeli.
Kimeli added that the late Eng. Maurice Namiinda was the team leader for the Chemusu Water Supply project, thus it was a big loss to the company and Kenyans at large.
“Let’s keep the social distance, wash our hands and always avoid handshakes to keep away the virus,” reiterated Eng. Kimeli.
On his part, Baringo governor Stanley Kiptis thanked the agency for their help saying it will go a long way in helping to fight the disease.
He also thanked the health workers for their tieless effort in the fight, noting that without their input many would be infected.
At the same time, he thanked residents for reporting suspected cases and also urged them to take government measures seriously.
The county executive for health Mary Panga also called on the residents to adhere to the set measures saying it was safe to prevent than to cure the disease.
She said that they were lucky that they have not recorded a case of the disease as a county saying that two suspected cases whose samples were sent to Nairobi for testing came back negative.
“We also had three residents who had recently travelled outside the country and two of them have completed the fourteen day quarantine period without showing any symptoms of the disease.
Panga added that the county government was also looking for a quarantine facility where suspected cases or contacts of the suspects will stay as they await results.
By Christopher Kiprop