Lodwar, May 27, 2024
Water services in Kanamkemer have resumed, three weeks after floods destroyed borehole nine, the area’s main water supply to the 40,000 residents of the area.
The recovery was achieved through the collaborative efforts of the county and partners, who drilled and equipped new boreholes as a replacement of the one swept by floods.
CECM for Water Services Patrick Lokaimoe announced the resumption, noting that over the over 40,000 residents now have access to water.
The floods disaster had raised fears of prolonged shortage, especially after Hydrological surveys revealed that the lost borehole could only be replaced by four boreholes to match the yield.
According to the CECM, the response suffered a major setback after the first site collapsed.
“Despite setbacks, our technical team succeeded to drill three boreholes producing a cummulative total of 216 cubic meters of water, significantly surpassing the previous supply of 80 cubic meters,” CECM Patrick Losike Lokaimoe explained.
The CECM added that the intervention leading to the successful resumption of services was guided by the floods disaster response plan initially prepared by the technical staff of the department led by the Director of Water Services.
Chief Officer for Water Services, Simon Etom, emphasized the importance of resilient infrastructure to adapt to changing weather patterns.
The Chief Officer singled out UNICEF, and USAID partners including STAWI, NAWIRI and LMS for the support.
“It must be clear that the work is yet to be completed. This is just the initial phase which prioritized resumption of services to the affected communities to alleviate their suffering,” Chief Officer Simon Etom said.
The increased yield provides an opportunity to stabilize water supply and, initiate new connections to increase supply coverage area. This will help meet the growing demand for water in Lodwar, Turkanas’ most populous urban centre.
Director of Water Services, Paul Lotum listed Kambi Mpya, Hewani, Namariat, Methewan, Juluk, Jack City and the Kanamkemer market as the affected areas where the supply had been restored.
“I also call upon residents to report any service issues for prompt corrective action,” Director Lotum said.
