Water CS Alice Wahome
By Ndung’u Wainaina
Worth Noting:
- By adopting One Sector Coordination approach, the Cabinet Secretary was able to bring together National government, County Goverments, Development Partners, Private sector and civil society to find common solutions to the crisis facing the water sector.
- The Cabinet Secretary has publicly emphasized the urgent need to build water sector resilience, stronger coordination and cooperation, progressing water sector reforms, using data and technology, improving revenue collection, and leveraging Public Private Partnership (PPP) investments.
Claims that Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome was transferred from Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation for failing to delivery are baseless, malicious and distortions of facts.
During her one year tenure in the ministry, she demonstrated laser focused determination, dedication, and collegial leadership in resolving water, irrigation and sanitation problems facing the country.
It is in the public domain who were undermining and insubordinating her authority in the Ministry. They were scared that she was fearless, firm and not easily manipulated. She was a strong believer in fairness and equity in ensuring no part of country was left behind in realizing Article43 of the Constitution in order to uplift the standard of living for every Kenyan
By adopting One Sector Coordination approach, the Cabinet Secretary was able to bring together National government, County Goverments, Development Partners, Private sector and civil society to find common solutions to the crisis facing the water sector.
The Cabinet Secretary has publicly emphasized the urgent need to build water sector resilience, stronger coordination and cooperation, progressing water sector reforms, using data and technology, improving revenue collection, and leveraging Public Private Partnership (PPP) investments.
She took bold direction to revive and strengthen multistakeholder strategy in resolving the water sector problems.
Realizing the government budget constraints, the CS aggressively spearheaded for the first time Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to mobilize and attract private sector investments in the water sector.
Her target was to construct 100 large dams, 1000 medium dams and over 4000 dams and water pans with last mile water connectivity.
She had already achieved significant milestones in the PPP initiative with first phase dams already identified and approved. The appraisal of 33 international private investors has started and is in an advanced stage.
The first PPP projects are in five counties of Embu, Kitui, Marsabit, Nyeri and Wajir. She initiated discussion with Parliament on the law governing PPP.
CS Wahome had succeeded in reviving and building strong partnership and collaboration with development partners in water sector.
In her one year tenure in the Ministry of Water, she commissioned and completed 56 Water and Sanitation projects. Consequently national water coverage has increased by two per cent to 71 per cent ,sanitation improved by one per cent to 67 per cent and area under irrigation increased by about 100,000 acres.
To bring harmony in two levels of government in the water sector, CS Wahome entered into and signed inter- Govermental water sector coodination agreement with the Council of Governors to leverage on climate financing and hasten the implementation of water projects to boost access of water, irrigation and sanitation services in the country.
The agreement is key in ensuring the two levels of government work seamlessly with development partners to unlock the climate finances to implement water projects.
Mr Ndung’u Wainaina is Human Rights Defender
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