The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Paul Kiprono Ronoh has assured that the government is working to enhance and streamline the water sector through the management of utilities with proper governance structures. Speaking during a governance workshop in collaboration with Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) and Gatsby Africa held at a Mombasa hotel Ronoh said that through collaboration between the two levels of government, it is possible to bring consistent water supply to the local citizens in the village. The meeting is set to discuss water supply and governance in accelerating the vision to achieve the 2030 goal of ‘universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all and adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all.’ ‘Good water governance is based on principles of good governance which includes equity, efficiency, participation, decentralization, integration, transparency and accountability and by improving water governance, we can achieve the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, address climate change and reverse environmental degradation,’ the PS said. Ronoh noted that more investment in improved water management and access to clean water can significantly increase food security in the country leading to drop in poverty levels. Climate disasters and water pollution can also be reduced by planting trees and wetlands in city planning to clean water and prevent flooding. Ronoh said that the Ministry is working to make water governance very transparent and tackle corruption. The Ministry in collaboration with WASREB devised a project dubbed ‘operation linda maji lipa maji’ to fight theft and illegal water connections which can attract a maximum penalty of ksh 100,000 if caught. ‘Corruption is among the top-ranked enemies of progress and development and the water sector is not spared. We have had rampant cases of ‘sex for water’ in the informal settlements in urban areas, inequitable distribution of the commodity by utilities and awarding of tenders to contractors of questionable backgrounds,’ Ronoh said. ‘Leaving no one behind’ is set to be the Ministry’s rallying call in all projects. A component of last mile connectivity in projects is one way to ensure inclusivity. ‘Marginalized communities must be made to feel they belong by giving them practical alternatives even when faced with difficult circumstances like the ongoing drought,’ he added. Chairperson Water, Forestry and Natural Resource Management Council of Governors who is also the Governor, Taita-Taveta, Shadrack Mwadime, said that it is critical to have the forums to advance and promote good governance in the water sector to ensure efficient and sustainable framework for water and sanitation services delivery in Counties. ‘Noting the existing and emerging water sector issues in the country, it is imperative to engage on all policy issues both with the Ministry and its agencies for a deliberate and well guided direction in delivering the mandate of water service provision for Kenyans,’ Mwadime said. Mwadime implored the forum to deliberate and arrive to policy decisions on certain matters that included sustainable rural water and sanitation supply especially water access in rural and under-served areas, looking into funding mechanisms for rural water services infrastructure development, operations and management of community water supply schemes and rehabilitation of boreholes. Other resolutions the meeting is looking to achieve are: Alignment of the Water Act 2016 to Functional Assignments and Principles of Devolution, strengthening intergovernmental collaboration in the water sector including relationship building, identification of mega dams and prioritization by County Governments, looking also on implementation of the Water Purchase Agreements and Implementation of the National Water and Sanitation Investment Program.
Source: Kenya News Agency