Her Excellency, the Deputy Governor, officially opened the 4th annual innovate4WASH forum, which begins today, Wednesday, October 26th, and runs through Friday, October 28th, 2022 in Malindi. In her opening remarks, she acknowledged Kilifi County’s current water challenges, that have lead to the imposition of an 18 hours of rationing. The county’s main problem was a funding gap. She urged the private sector to be open to long-term partnerships that would outline strategies for addressing water and sanitation issues effectively, noting that provision of clean water to all citizens is part of the new government’s manifesto. This can only be accomplished through strong collaborations.
Everyone has the right to safe drinking water as a basic human right. Kenya is one of the countries that did not meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The goal is for everyone to have access to safe, affordable drinking water by 2030. However, current investment is only about one-third of what is required to meet this goal. Droughts, deforestation, floods, a lack of water, water pollution, and a growing population are all contributing to Kilifi County’s severe water crisis.
The challenge is divided into four thematic areas:-
• Water accessibility
• Water security
• Water conservation
• Services for sanitation
MAWASCO is interested in attending this forum based on the following outcomes:-
• Climate change solutions based on nature in WASH Water Harvesting Methods
• Entrepreneurship in WASH Sanitation Technologies and Solutions
• Innovative financing for long-term WASH systems
GERALD MWAMBIRE
MD, MAWASCO
