EABL Foundation launches a countrywide Water Initiative

(L-R) Jean Kiarie-Ngumu Group Head of Sustainability, Council of Governors' Chairman Hon. Peter Munya, Julie Adell-Owino EABLF Group Corprate Relations Director and Dep. Gov. Gerald Githinji

The EABL Foundation has today announced an expansive initiative in counties aimed at providing access to clean water and potentially transforming livelihoods of communities in dire need of the commodity.

The initiative will involve development of 10 sustainable, water projects in 10 counties to benefit communities struggling to access water. The programme is part of a larger programme dubbed “Water of Life” under which the Foundation has implemented over 50 community water projects in areas that are encountering perennial water shortage in the region.

Speaking at the launch, EABL’s Julie Adell-Owino, said the initiative is aimed at drastically reducing the amount of time and hassle that people - especially women and children - encounter in search of water, an increasingly scarce commodity among many communities in the region.

“We are not only critically conscious of the important role that provision of clean, drinking water plays for sustainable development but are aware that population expansion has stressed existing water resources. Hopefully, this project will free up time for women to be involved in other socio-economic activities and provide children adequate time to study, therefore boosting their chances to succeed in life,” added Ms. Adelle-Owino

The ten counties in Kenya to benefit under the initiative are Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, Kericho, Murang’a, Narok, Siaya, Kiambu, Kakamega, Nairobi and Mombasa.  

Launching the initiative, Council of Governors’ Chairman Hon. Peter Munya, acknowledged the Foundation for its efforts in complementing counties’ efforts to provide clean and safe water to communities. He appealed to communities to be protective of the infrastructure once set up to maximize benefits to them and called for a collaborative public-private sector partnership to restore and protect water towers and catchment areas alongside all wetlands.

“Careful environmental audit should precede the development and later, management of water projects such as boreholes. To ensure this happens, favourable water practices need to be developed and new water management standards established.”

Over the last 10 years, the EABL Foundation has sponsored over 50 sustainable water projects in East Africa, positively impacting over 5 million lives directly and indirectly in the region. These projects include sinking of boreholes, development of water pans and water preservation initiatives.

The initiative is part of EABL Foundation’s 10^th Year Anniversary marking the launch of EABL’s corporate social responsibility arm in 2005. The location of the water projects is informed research by the Foundation establishing demand for the commodity based on population density abd geographical set-up.

Kenya is largely considered as a water-scarce country, with water per capita of about 647 m3 per year and a resource endowment of 21 billion cubic meters a year. The National Water Master Plan 2030 indicated that Kenya has up to 60 billion cubic meters of groundwater potential that now requires compressive investigation to locate and map out these aquifers for exploitation.

“It is important to acknowledge the fact that matters of form and location of water —now more than ever before—call for concerted interventions. Therefore, we need expert opinion based on scientific evidence in this regard so that mitigation factors are put in place early” noted Gov. Munya.