Kibaki said the management of water resources has become more and more complex and therefore demands more innovative ways of conserving the declining resources.
Kenya-RAPID program is an initiative that mobilizes financial and technical resources from development partners, national government, county government and the private sector and focuses on five Kenyan Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties with high poverty rates, chronic food and water insecurity and low access to basic services.
The East African nation’s current water coverage stands at 56 percent of the population while the sewerage coverage is approximately 22 percent.
The ex-Kenyan leader rooted for global best practices in all aspects of enhancing water availability, access and governance in order to foster the desired changes in an integrated manner.
He in particular pointed the expansion of urban settlement and industries that he said require investments in more creative remedies that deal with the declining water supply in all countries.
“My hope is that the water and related benefits we seek to provide under RAPID and other similar programs will become a tool of empowering the targeted populations,” he said.
He maintained that the absence and scarcity of clean water, in particular, impoverish the communities and expose them to poor health that deprive them their economic ability.
Cabinet Secretary of Water and Irrigation Eugene Wamalwa said the government is committed to ensure that water resources in the country are properly managed to effectively serve the citizens.
Wamalwa said despite the various challenges affecting the water sector, the government would continue to encourage the public and private partnership to ensure that the sector is fully funded. Enditem
Source; Xinhua
