In an effort to improve access to clean and affordable water in rural communities, World Vision and KenGen have inaugurated a 30,000-liter masonry water tank valued at KShs700,000 at Mimwaita Primary School in Rongai, Nakuru County.
The facility is set to benefit over 350 children from the school and the neighboring town of Salgaa, an area plagued by water scarcity, exposing locals to waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, and typhoid.
A 2020 needs assessment revealed that the Mimwatia community depends on the seasonal and contaminated River Rongai, located 3-5 kilometers away, for both agricultural and domestic water needs.
KenGen’s Managing Director & CEO, Eng. Peter Njenga, in a speech read by Eng. Clety Bore, highlighted the impact of clean water on education and health in Mimwaita Primary School.
“This initiative is not just about providing water; it is about ensuring that children can focus on their education, stay healthy, and reach their full potential. Because we believe education is an equalizer and enabler in life,” he said.
He added that KenGen is committed to environmental stewardship, demonstrated by its tree planting programs. Last year alone, KenGen planted over 350,000 tree seedlings.
By March of this year, he explained, the electricity generating company had already planted more than 270,000 trees, with an additional 180,000 seedlings planned for this quarter.
Frederick Kasiku, Program Effectiveness and Impact Director at World Vision Kenya, expressed gratitude to KenGen for their investment in mitigating the shocking water accessibility and rainwater harvesting in Salgaa.
“This collaboration between KenGen and the Mimwatia community represents a step towards enhancing health and education outcomes,” he noted during the inauguration and handing over of the tank.
Through the Inuka Angaza Fund, a Kenyan-funded program in Salgaa, he revealed, World Vision aims to address critical issues such as water scarcity, education, health, and child protection in the area.
The school’s headteacher, Ms. Catherine Karime, hailed the investment, “It will improve sanitation, reduce costs, and allow them to establish a kitchen garden to supplement school meals and support our efforts in combating climate change.”
The Kenya National Water and Sanitation Investment and Financing Plan (NAWASIP) reveals a Ksh. 652 billion funding shortfall as Kenya aims for universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Since 1974, World Vision has led Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene initiatives in Kenya through strategic partnerships. Similarly, KenGen’s CSR focuses on education, water, sanitation, and environmental conservation.
These organizations are crucial in driving WASH sector changes. To address budget deficits and climate challenges, experts say Kenya must enhance innovative financing through partnerships to achieve universal water access by 2030.
During the unveiling of the facility, over 1,000 tree seedlings, donated by KenGen, were planted in the school to mark World Environment Day – 2024 under the theme: land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.
