Lodwar – 6th May, 2025 (Public communications and Media Relations)
The KSh 900 million water project, Strengthening County Resilience Against WASH-related Climate Crisis (SCORE II), is set to commence, with 139,500 people in Turkana Central, Turkana North, Kibish, Loima, and Lokiriama sub-counties expected to benefit from improved access to water and sanitation.
The project, launched in March by Deputy Governor Dr John Erus, is funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and implemented by UNICEF Kenya. It is expected to rehabilitate and upgrade 38 boreholes, drill three boreholes in Kibish and targets 620 villages for community-led total sanitation activities to end open defecation (OD). The project will end in June 2027.
In a consultative meeting with representatives from development partners and county government, projects were identified and implementing partners were also revealed.
“We have conducted the preliminary activities such as mapping the water systems,” said activities George Aremon, Assistant Director of Water Services.
The project, according the UNICEF WASH Specialist Jackson Mutia, also included piping water to communities, 21 schools, 10 health facilities and additionally supporting these learning and health institutions with gender disintegrated sanitation facilities.
Acting Director of Preventive and Promotive, Lucas Edete, highlighted that Turkana was regarded as one of the top 15 counties that high burden in terms of OD. He quoted the 2019 Kenya Census Report that showed that Turkana stood at an open defecation rate of 68.1%.
Thus, he assured the implementing partners of the directorate’s support and assistance in the CLTS activities to achieve that target of 620 villages.
This comes after SCORE I delivered 76 boreholes, 10 sand dams, and a 25-year Lodwar Municipality Water Master Plan in Loima and Turkana Central sub-counties.
Also present were sub-county officers from the Departments of Water and Health as well as representatives from Brooklyn Consulting, Water Resource Authority, Team and Team International, World Food Programme, Ministry of Education National, Diocese of Lodwar and Welthungerhilfe Kenya.
