The Kisumu county government has partnered with Living Water International to drill 50 boreholes at a cost Sh25 million.
The county and Living Water gave out Sh19.5 million and Sh5.5 million respectively to sink wells in rural areas.
LWI Kenya country representative Jacktone Akelo said the project will covers sub counties which are not adequately supplied with water by the Kisumu Water Services Company (Kiwasco).
Mr Akelo said boreholes will be drilled in phases, with 20 and 30 in phase one and two respectively within two years.
He spoke during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at Governor Jack Ranguma’s office on Monday.
He said the projects will ensure more than 200,000 households get access to safe and reliable water sources.
Sub counties to benefit are Seme, Muhoroni, Nyando, Nyakach, Kisumu West and Kisumu East.
Apart from sinking wells, Akelo said they will also train communities on hygiene and sanitation to reduce cases of water related diseases.
Ranguma said better access to clean and safe water will improve the lives of Kisumu county people.
He said sinking of the boreholes will improve water supply to communities in remote areas which have not been covered by Kiwasco.
“Our people need water to ensure security to end poverty, to fight disease and maintain health, we need more safe water,” Ranguma said during the ceremony.
He said his administration has invested heavily in providing water noting that access to safe water is a basic human right.
Ranguma said the county has embarked on the expansion of water services to those living in the rural areas which have been ignored in terms of piped supplies.
He said his government is in partnership with the European Investment Bank to expand water supply to Maseno and Nyando among other areas.
The initiative aims at enhancing water services delivery as well as strengthensthe sale of water in rural and peri-urban areas within the region.
The expansion will see every five people having a water point closer to them, the governor said.
Ranguma said the programme will among other things address the commercialisation of water services especially in rural areas to improve the residents' living standards.
“We are hoping to address the challenges especially in the management of rural water projects by partnering with private institutions,” he added.
He said among the interventions to be taken in the rural water expansion programme include conservation of water catchment areas and building of water points for the communities.