Kirinyaga’s innovative approach to expanding access to safe and affordable water in underserved rural communities has attracted international attention, with a World Bank and Mozambique water sector delegation visiting the county to learn from its eWATER model.
The delegation visited the eWATER project in Gathigiriri Ward, Mwea, to study the model, with a focus on community participation, water conservation, affordable tariffs and the use of technology in water distribution.
Kirinyaga has partnered with eWATER since 2019 to provide reliable and affordable water in areas that previously depended on unsafe sources.
Under the partnership, eWATER designs, finances and installs smart water systems, while the County Government provides infrastructure, land access and regulatory support.
Speaking at Kiriko Village, County Executive Committee Member for Environment Kinyua Mutugi said that the partnership has so far delivered 177 community smart taps, 83 household connections and six institutional connections in Gathigiriri Ward.
The network serves about 17,000 people across seven villages, with residents accessing treated water at Sh5 for a 20-litre jerrycan.
“We have partnered with eWATER, a private enterprise, to provide water to the people of Gathigiriri Ward, which was previously underserved with clean water. The project has been very successful,” said Mutugi, noting that the project had demonstrated the value of partnerships in improving access to clean water.
The county government has continued to prioritise water access with Governor Anne Waiguru noting that Ksh. 200 million had been allocated in the last and current financial years for the implementation of water projects, alongside additional investments undertaken through various partnerships.
In the current financial year, the county government is implementing 38 water projects across the county. The County has also undertaken more than 70 water projects across various wards.
“To ensure the residents also access clean domestic water, we have partnered with eWATER organization to undertake projects that are serve about 7,000 residents in Mahigaini, Kirogo, Kamucege and part of Tebere with clean treated domestic water,” Waiguru said.
The World Bank delegation said it had chosen Kenya and Kirinyaga in particular to learn from approaches that have improved access to water in rural communities.
A World Bank representative from Mozambique, Chantul Richey, said the institution was supporting a large-scale rural development project focused on expanding access to water.
“We always talk about how Kenya is good at distributing water in rural areas and how the systems work and are different, innovative and affordable,” she said, noting that the delegation was honoured to learn from Kirinyaga and hoped to apply the lessons from the project in Mozambique.
Caudina Bebane, Project Coordinator of the Agua Segura project in Mozambique, said the delegation was particularly interested in how the Kirinyaga model involves communities in managing water services.
“We have come to learn about preserving water, making water available and learning about tariffs and what makes people pay for water willingly.” she said, adding that the delegation had gained valuable lessons from the visit and appreciated the opportunity to exchange experiences with Kirinyaga County and Kenya.
For residents of Gathigiriri, the project has replaced unsafe canal water with treated water available closer to their homes.
Freshia Wambui, a resident of Kiriko Village and eWATER consumer, said the community previously relied on irrigation canals that were exposed to agricultural waste, animal waste and sewage.
“Before eWATER, we used to consume water from the canals, which was very dirty. It was possible to find used diapers and other waste in the water,” she said.
Wambui said the project had improved hygiene and reduced waterborne diseases in the village since residents moved from the canal to eWATER, where the water is treated. She noted that they are now able to consume clean water, cook, wash clothes and even give the water to young children. Diseases have reduced greatly,” she said.
Under the model, residents use mobile money to top up their eWATER tags and pay only for the water they consume. The approach enables the operator to provide water services while keeping the cost affordable for rural households.
eWATER operates in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Gambia. The system has dispensed more than 1.5 billion litres of water and served about 380,000 people over the past decade in Africa.
