Today, 18 million Kenyans have no access to water and sanitation services, therefore Nduma Water Project is fundamental in bridging the existing difference. [Photo/amref]
In a move to help build thriving communities, Kenya Breweries Limited in collaboration with AMREF Health Africa in Kenya, Tuesday commissioned Kerwa-Nduma Water Project in Kikuyu Constituency, a novel initiative aimed at providing clean and safe drinking water to over 20,000 residents of Kikuyu Constituency.
The water project to be managed by Kerwa Water Project Welfare Association (KWPWA) comprises of a 4Km water distribution line, a 225,000litre rehabilitated water tank, a borehole, a water pump house and a water kiosk.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Diageo Corporate Relations Director, Dan Mobley said, “As a company, we seek to contribute to the communities by way of implementing innovative projects in the areas of access to clean drinking water, water conservation and management as underpinned by Diageo 2020 Sustainability Blueprint.”
A World Bank study on water revealed that by 2050 over 40% of the global population will live under severe water stress; and as global population increases, so will tensions among different water uses.
Today, 18 million Kenyans have no access to water and sanitation services, therefore Nduma Water Project is fundamental in bridging the existing difference.
“We are cognizant of the fact that access to clean water, is a basic human right. As a responsible corporate citizen, passionate about doing its part to respond to this societal need, KBL, through EABL Foundation is committed to invest in water projects within water-stressed communities such as Nduma,” said EABL Corporate Relation Director, Eric Kiniti.
Kikuyu MP, Kimani Ichungwa, keen to debunk the water surplus myth in Kiambu said, “there is a misconception that Kiambu County’s proximity to Nairobi means the County doesn’t have a water problem while in fact, part of the County is classified as an Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) region with a serious water deficiency concerns,” said Ichungwa.
“This is a project that is directly impacting people’s lives. It is indeed changing people lives in a big way. The residents will not only be able to access clean drinking water, but the water will promote economic activities,” added Mr. Ichungwa.
This project is part of a wider “10by10” initiative that aims to develop 10 sustainable, water projects in 10 counties to benefit communities struggling to access water.
The program is part of a larger plan, dubbed “Water of Life” under which the Foundation has implemented over 78 community water projects in areas encountering a perennial water shortage across Kenya.
According to a study released in April 2016 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Society for International Development (SID), only 35 per cent of Kiambu County’s population use improved sources of water, a situation that exacerbates sanitation-related illnesses.
The report further reveals that Kenya spends more than Ksh20 billion on treating sanitation-related diseases annually.