By November 2023, Garissa, Mandera, and Tana River were among some of the hardest-hit counties by El-Nino floods, severely impacting communities’ access to safe and adequate water.
These counties had not yet recovered fully from the recent previous drought, which was one of the worst in the last four decades. The combined effects of floods and drought exacerbated access to safe water.
Labisigaley community in Dadaab Sub-county was severely affected by the floods that damaged water supply infrastructure, including the Labisigaley Borehole, located in the local primary school. Previously powered by an old, unreliable 300kVA generator, the borehole faced frequent breakdowns, causing water shortages for the school children and community members who depended on it.
“The daily cost of running the diesel-operated generator for at least 30 minutes to pump water to the school’s and community’s storage facilities was prohibitive, amounting to a cost of approximately KES 1,000 per day,” said Linus Mbugua, the headteacher at the school, adding that maintenance further strained their already limited financial resources.
With the high cost of operation of the generator, the system remained unsustainable for this community.
Through the generous support of the People of Japan, UNICEF in collaboration with the County Government of Garissa and Peace Winds Japan sought to alleviate the challenges faced by the community. An assessment was conducted with the aim of rehabilitating the borehole, which by then had not been functional for ten days due a faulty radiator damaged by flood water.
Rehabilitation of the borehole started with the installation of a solar system to ensure the use of renewable energy, which is sustainable and reduces the cost of operation and
maintenance. To ensure continuous access to water, an elevated storage tank with 10,000-litre capacity was installed, adequate to serve the entire community and school children.
“We jointly proposed a sustainable and cost-effective solution by solarizing the borehole. This ensured a reliable energy source for the system,” said Catherine Wanjihia, WASH Specialist with UNICEF Kenya.
“The 10,000-litre plastic tank was connected to the existing water pipeline system and the construction of two water points made it easier for pupils and the community to get direct access to clean and safe water,” added Wanjihia.
For Mr. Mbugua, the head teacher of Labisigaley primary, the new installation is considered a treasure by the community.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the partners who made this possible. Their support has benefited our 579 students and the 97 households in the surrounding area, which is quite an amazing achievement,” Mbugua said.
“I am very excited that I no longer have to wake up early and walk to the nearby village to buy water. It was also tiresome standing in the long queues waiting to be served,” said Fatuma Adow Gedi, one of the residents.
“I found it to be very costly, squeezing into my small household budget. Moments when the old generator here broke down were sad days for me, and sometimes I had to send my children to fetch water to ensure we had enough,” she added.
Catherine Wanjihia emphasized the partnership’s impact, noting its broader role in improving health, education, and community well-being through sustainable safe water access. She highlighted the goal of the Japanese Government-supported programme in improving access to lifesaving and climate-resilient, gender-responsive water and sanitation services through the rehabilitation of 15 non-functional water supply systems in drought and flood-affected locations such as Labisigaley.
“The programme has transformed the lives of 69,958 residents in the community, schools, and health care facilities, while 72,299 people have been reached with hygiene awareness messages in Garissa, Mandera and Tana River counties, ” said Wanjihia.
The program has brought a sense of relief and happiness to the community, reducing the burden of long treks, lengthy queues, and high costs of water.
Headteacher Mbugua concluded, “Water is life. This intervention has significantly improved the overall school enrollment, lives, and living standards of learnerss and households around the school.”
The UNICEF in collaboration with both the national and county governments continues to scale up climate-resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services for communities impacted by climate change. With the generous support of the People of Japan, the partnership will strengthen local capacity, enhance access to safe water, and improve sanitation facilities to ensure that communities are better equipped to withstand the effects of future climate shocks.
