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Description

Water resources are essential for satisfying basic human needs, health and food production, energy, the restoration and maintenance of ecosystems and for social and economic development in general. According to estimations by the UN, more people die presently due to insufficient access to safe water and basic sanitation.

The development, management, protection and use of water so as to contribute to the eradication of poverty and the promotion of food security are an exceptionally important goal. The role of ground water, rivers, streams, springs and wetlands, forests and other vegetation and other parts of their ecosystems in the water cycle and their importance to water quality and quantity should be acknowledged and protected.

Safe water and basic sanitation are basic human right as enshrined in "The Constitution of Kenya 2010, 43(1)(d)and should therefore be accessible and affordable to all. This is important in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the National targets in our country’s economic blueprint, the Kenya Vision 2030

The County Government is mandated to undertake planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of Water sanitation and hygiene projects for socio-economic development within Nyamira County.

 Vision statement.

A county with equitable and sustainable management and use for water resources for social economic development.

Mission statement.

To provide sustainable, reliable, efficient and cost effective water supply systems that deliver adequate quantity and quality of water to satisfy domestic, agricultural, industrial and commercial purposes for improved quality of life for all.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

•  To develop water/sewerage and irrigation physical infrastructure,
• To enhance adoption of modern technologies in water, irrigation and waste water management
• To improve efficiency and Capacity in Water/waste water and Irrigation/ Drainage projects to achieve better Service delivery.
• To improve water scheme management and supervision services
• To enhance stakeholders participation and collaborative efforts
• To improve business orientation in the sector
• To develop Human Resources.
• To enhance the Water Act 2002 legal framework
• To prepare Water and Irrigation related bills for Legislation and Amendments.

 

3. Current Status

Nyamira County is endowed with natural water resources that include rivers, shallow wells, springs, dams, pans and boreholes whose availability varies considerably between seasons as well as across regions depending on the time of the year. Naturally, these water resources are in abundance during the wet period of the year and get scarce during the dry season. Most parts of the County have two main rainy seasons, i.e. the long rains being between March and May while the short rains fall within the months of October and November without any distinct dry spell. Currently majority of the residents in the county depend on protected and unprotected springs for their supply needs whereas another good percentage depend on shallow wells. A small percentage of people are served with piped water which is below 10%. The county since inception has constructed a number medium water supplies. The county does not have formal sewerage treatment works but more than 85% of the population has pit latrines with about 2% having on site septic tanks.

3.1 Water Supply Schemes

To ensure continued access to safe water for domestic use and other purposes (including livestock and poultry keeping, small scale irrigation, fisheries, etc.), communities in various parts in the County have formed groups and established vibrant rural water schemes that ensure continued access to potable water throughout the year. Most of these water facilities have been supported directly by the county government and/or donor funding as well as the community’s cash and in kind contributions.

  

3.2 Water Sources

 

Water Source Type	Number	Remarks
Permanent rivers (traversing the region)	7	R.Sondu, Gucha, Charachani, Eyaka, Nyabomite, Esise,Kemera
Boreholes	26	Some boreholes are low yielding
Shallow wells	5,800	Belong to individuals
Protected springs	2,500
Unprotected springs	3,300
Dams	7	Most are silted
% population	Time Taken to Fetch Water	Remarks
7.8% of the population	1 - 4 minutes	collecting water from the nearest water point
2.4% of the population	5-14 minutes
49.3 of the population	15-29 minutes
30.5% of the population	30 -59 minutes
Only 13.4% of the population	more than 1 hr to fetch water

 

 

• The distance to the nearest water point in the county varies between 0 to 4.0 kilometers.
• Currently, close to 4,000 households (i.e. 3.4% of the total households) are connected to piped water schemes.
• Majority of the poor, in particular women and girls, spend a significant amount of time fetching water in both rural and urban areas thus denying them time to engage in other economic activities.
• Improving, protection and prudent management of the County water sources will be highly critical in enhancing and promoting progress across the sectors.

 

The County economy primarily depends on the natural resource base. Increasing access to sustainable water is a priority of the government within the existing policy framework. The main challenges facing improvement of access to water resources include: inadequate funding, poor local ownership of projects and planting of blue gum trees along riverbanks and other riparian areas.

 

4. POLICY

The county is in the process of preparing a county water, sanitation and hygiene policy which will mainly focus on sustainability of the projects and resource conservation. This will be based on the following principles :

• Access to clean safe water is a right under the new constitution(CoK 2010)
• Fresh water is finite and vulnerable resource which is essential to sustain life and development.
• Management of water resources along natural catchment and riparian areas
• Participatory approach for better conflict resolutions and optimal use of resources for sustainability
• Water is both social and economic good therefore resource management shall partly be financed by users (user/polluter pay principle)
• Treatment of effluents and reuse /recycling
• Open awareness creation, communication and reporting to public

6.:Milestones

• Is an existing water supply scheme serving Kebirigo Market and its environs.
• The water source is at Nyageita spring next to Gucha River.
• The distribution network has been improved and storage tanks constructed to increase the area of coverage and consumers
• Procured and installed a more powerful lift pump at a cost of Kshs. 1.10 million to facilitate efficient and continued delivery of clean water to meet the customer demand within the market center and the community in the neighborhood

   6.2 Manga Water Supply.

• Substantially complete and Satisfactory
• 120 consumers connected ,however the department intends to increase the number of consumers to enable the scheme to qualify to be managed by Gusii Water and sanitation Company
• One kiosk constructed from where water is tapped by consumers at a cost.

6.3 Miriri Borehole Water Supply

• Was drilled 10 years and capped .Currently the distribution network is in place and CWP (Communal Water Points) constructed for use by the community.
• Borehole yield is estimated at 4.50m3/hour,
• From the topographic mapping, the projected consumer base to be supplied with water is big
• The Gucha River and the bordering stream are far below the spring ground ,hence completion of the distribution of water from the borehole is of great importance to the community

6.4 Esani Secondary School Spring.

The school currently collects water for its domestic use from a protected spring situated just outside the compound. The school wishes to have the water tapped from within the school compound for convenience purposes.

In order to meet the water requirements of the school, the Water Department has constructed the following works:

• Protection of the existing spring
• Constructed a 25m3 collection sump at the spring
• Installed a pipeline from the spring to the collection
• Installation of rising main and distribution lines
• Constructed
• Pumping unit installed to pump water to storage tank.

6.5 Mekenene Water Project

• Is located in Nyansiongo Division of Borabu Sub-County.
• The intake is a water pan (reservoir) from which water will be gravity tapped and supplied to the lower catchment areas that include Nyabionyo Township and Chepilat Trading Centre.
• The headwork for the gravity fed system is complete
• Laying of distribution pipe lines to Chepilat/Nyabionyo Secondary School and Nyansiongo Township is complete.
• Water will also be pumped from the reservoir to a distribution tank on a higher ground to serve those consumers who cannot access water through a gravity system.

6.6 Isinta Borehole.

• Is located within the Health Centre was drilled, tested and constructed some years back to serve the community.
• The borehole yield is 4m3 /hr,
• The 50m3 storage masonry tanks, distribution pipeline and water kiosks, will improve access to water and area of coverage. The project targets to benefit about 500 households.

6.7 Ekerenyo Spring

• This spring is located within the Ekerenyo Market

• With the construction of a masonry distribution reservoir constructed uphill, Laying of the rising main and Distribution lines ,Construction of a 25m3 collection sump into which water will flow and stored for pumping ,Pump House and Spring protection and Auxiliaries, 50m3 storage tank, the project, will serve the business community in town / market, nearby institutions ( Sub County HQs, Health Facility, Boarding / Day Schools ,Police Facility) as well as the households in the neighborhood

6.8 Nyagwacha ws

• Serves Masosa sec and primary schools ,Nyasore market and surrounding community
• 50m3 tank completed
• 3km gravity lines completed .
• 2no water kiosk constructed
• 2no. Springs constructed

6.9. Nyamira Urban Water Supply Scheme

In an effort to improve the water supply within the Nyamira Town and its environs, the Department purchased a booster pump at a cost of Kshs 1.2 million for the intake unit to pump more raw water into the treatment works. Installation of this pump has since improved the volume of water that is treated thus increasing the amount of water that is distributed to consumers on a daily basis.

Groundwater Supplies

6.10 Newly Drilled Boreholes

• 4 No. productive boreholes drilled at Kineni Market, Kineni Health Centre, Senator Kebaso Secondary School and Tente area.
• Kineni Market borehole project cost was Ksh 8.1million and complete drilling works costed Ksh 3.2Million.Elevated platform has been erected. planned works are pump installation, water kiosk construction and distribution lines
• Tente borehole cost Kshs 5.9m, work entailed sinking of borehole, laying of distribution lines and construction of overhead storage tanks & water kiosks ..

The borehole at Kineni Health Facility and that at Senator Kebaso Secondary School were sunk by the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Co. Ltd under the National Government support to the County. However, in an effort to increase access to safe water to the communities in the vicinity of these two water facilities, the Department of Water laid the distribution lines and constructed storage tanks and water kiosks.

Beneficiaries of the four water supply schemes above are as follows:

• Kineni Market Borehole: the planned milk cooler plant that will benefit about 1,000 dairy farmers in the region while close to 600 households will be served by this project.
• Kineni Health Center Borehole: to benefit the health facility, a nearby secondary school as well as about 80 households in the vicinity;
• Senator Kebaso Secondary School Borehole: to benefit the school of more than 300 students and about 400 households in the surrounding areas; and
• Tente Borehole: to benefit the primary school comprising 450 children, the SDA Conference Center as well as close to 150 households the community resident in the vicinity.

 

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