CS SICILY KARIUKI- ALL KENYANS TO HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER BY 2030

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki says that the government is working towards ensuring 100% of Kenyans in the next eight years have access to clean water in the country.

Speaking in Citizen’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, CS Sicily Kariuki noted that about 70% of the country’s population has already benefited from the clean water program and only 30% is remaining.

“As Jubilee government when we moved in, the water coverage was at 53%. Today we are proud to note that we are at 70%. The provision of water is a process, we have 30% of the population to be covered in the coming eight years,” CS Kariuki said.

CS Kariuki outlined the processes through which the government would implement to ensure the realization of the Integrated Sustainable Development Goals (iSDG) model in the coming eight years.

“We have been very methodical about it. I have set up a national task force that is identifying and prioritizing the next set of investments that will be undertaken in water and sanitization,” she said.

She explained that the ministry has opened up the space to bring up private sector investment into the sector for the first time, a move which she said guarantees well flow of funds.

“We are also in conversation with the treasury since we’ll require Ksh. 30 billion every year to cover this journey,” she explained.

“Next year we are walking towards 80% target and the 20% differential is what we are doing the investment planning right now for us to work towards the 100% target,” she added.

CS Kariuki went further to state that they have also pioneered in technologies to facilitate efficiency in the utilization of water and are also sensitizing citizens on the need to be responsible while using water.

“We are rehabilitating and carrying out civic education so that people improve on their behavior. It is your business to mind water infrastructure,” she cautioned.