World Vision Kenya has donated 35 water tanks with a capacity of 10,000 Liters and 12,000 twenty liters Jerry cans of water to various institutions, facilities and households in Kajiado County as an emergency response to help in tackling water shortage.
The tanks will be taken to Kajiado South, Kajiado West and Kajiado Central sub counties that are believed to be hard hit by acute shortage of water.
Speaking in Kajiado town, Alfred Wambia from World Vision Kenya, said the donation is meant to help the vulnerable people in the said sub counties.
“The water jerry cans are supposed to support families and households suffering from severe malnutrition, pregnant and lactating mothers in the county while the water tanks will go to the various institutions and facilities,” said Wambia.
Wambia further revealed that 4,449 households will also benefit from a cash transfer of sh6, 108 in an effort to cushion them against the ravaging drought.
Wambia noted that the households to benefit will be identified by the health officers who do outreaches and are able to identify children who are suffering from moderately acute malnutrition or severely acute malnutrition, adding that even those who visit the health centers will be identified.
County Executive committee member in charge of health services in the county, Alex Leshinka Kilowua, thanked the organization and other development partners for coming through to help during these hardship times.
“We are grateful to have received these water tanks that will go a long way in water trucking across our sub counties. These tanks will help in harvesting rainwater in our rural health facilities and rural schools and we appreciate the partners as this is a very big boost especially on our rural areas,” he said.
Kilowua noted that the water tanks will go a long way in prevention of infections and control of outbreak diseases like cholera.
He appealed to other partners to come on board and help the county in tackling malnutrition cases of children under five, lactating mothers and pregnant women as the ravaging drought has increased such cases.
According to the National Drought Management Authority, about 95,000 households in Kajiado have lost their livelihoods and are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with about 20,000 under-fives being severely or moderately malnourished.
By Sammy Rayiani and Diana Meneto
