Lodwar – 16th May, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
County Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) stakeholders have resolved to review the draft regulations for the Turkana County Water Act 2019 in an effort to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) losses and improve water access in Turkana.
The stakeholders, participating in a workshop supported by the Lotus Kenya Action for Development Organization (LOKADO) with funding from Welthungerhilfe Kenya, observed that the lack of enforceable regulations had weakened water service providers’ ability to reduce NRW.
The Director of Water Services, Paul Lotum, emphasized that NRW was a national concern, accounting for an average of 45% of water loss across the country, according to the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB).
Non-revenue water refers to water produced and distributed by a water service provider (WSP), however not billed to customers. These losses are often attributed to leaks, illegal connections, vandalism, and other systemic inaccuracies.
“The County started with the reorganization of water governance structures in line with the Water Act, which has led to the formation of three WSPs,” he said.
He further stated that reviewing the draft regulations would help address existing barriers affecting WASH service delivery. Once published, the regulations would empower WSPs to tackle NRW losses and unlock the Water Fund for emergency use.
The Managing Director of Kakuma Lopur and Letea Water and Sanitation Company (KALWASCO), Zachariah Etukon, revealed that the company could currently only account for 45% of its water, while WASREB regulations required 80%.
He noted that policy gaps had hindered WSPs from taking legal action against individuals involved in illegal connections or vandalism.
“KALWASCO and TUWASCO are planning to install smart meters to minimize human error associated with manual meter reading and billing,” he said, as one of the strategies to address NRW.
Turkana Urban Water and Sewerage Company (TUWASCO) is the WSP serving Lodwar Municipality.
Godfrey Ikone Akolong, Director of WASH Services under the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Programme (KISEDP), stated that once anchored in law the WSPs would have access to funding opportunities to strengthen water management; also assist in resource mobilization
Dennis Esekon Lokitare, Programme Manager at LOKADO, stated that the county government, as the primary stakeholder in WASH matters, should increase budgetary allocations to WSPs. This, he said, would enhance their capacity to respond to water system breakages and expand service operations.
Representatives from the Department of Health and Sanitation, including Sarah Lokaala (Deputy Director of Planning, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation) and Lucas Edete (Acting Director of Preventive and Promotive Services), emphasized the importance of advocating for hygiene and sanitation, particularly the open defecation elimination.
Other stakeholder representatives were drawn from the National Drought Management Authority, Water Resources Authority, Directorate of Climate Change, County Assembly, and the Turkana WASH Youth Parliament.
