Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders has said his government will continue to support water development projects in Kenya.
Speaking on Monday during the official opening of the inaugural Kenya Water Week at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Reynders said Belgium will continue funding water projects in needy counties.
“Belgium will continue to support various projects especially for the most water needy counties in Kenya. Just last Friday, we approved a Sh2.6B water project in Mavoko to ensure adequate water supply for the area,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Belgium will in the next few weeks also release Sh1.8B for Iten, Sh1.7B for Vihiga and Sh1.8B for Kajiado among other projects.
During the Water Week, key stakeholders and leading development partners and practitioners from around the world including the European Union will set direction for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further explore the unlimited possibilities at policy, business and innovation and collaboration in the water sector.
“As the intermediary organisation in financing water sector players for water and sanitation provision, the Water Services Trust Fund recognises the need to find sustainability in project financing and is in the process of exploring strategies for a business model that will reduce dependency on grant funding. We see a time when the mandate of WSTF will be widened in financing to the water sector,” added the WSTF CEO Ismail Shaiye.
The Water Week is themed, From Aid to Trade: Enhancing Business Partnerships & Innovation for Sustainable Water and Sanitation provision in Africa, and will feature a business, exhibition and innovation challenge and as well as awards.
The business and innovation challenge has been designed to bring together key stakeholders in the water sector to share ideas on how to stimulate and enhance trade, innovation and development in the water sector.
The Water Sector Innovation Awards 2016 will on the other hand identify, recognise and reward the most outstanding innovations in the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector that have contributed to the achievement of Kenya’s WASH goals under Vision 2030 and the SDGs.