Athi Water Targets 6.4 Million Kenyans In New Water, Sanitation Drive

A new strategic plan by the Athi River Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) wants to provide access to safe water for approximately 6.4 million in Nairobi, Murang’a and Kiambu counties.

The move is part of a new strategic plan launched by the Athi Water Works Development Agency on August 16.

Along with the new strategic plan which will run for the next five years was a new logo revealed by the AWWDA, as the parastatal rebranded in what it said was a way to realign itself with new laws.

Ministry of Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui said the government will annually monitor the progress and implementation of AWWDA’s new five-year strategic plan.

“The strategic plan is very important, not only for Athi Water Works Development Agency but also for the residents of Nairobi, Kiambu and Muranga counties; and the entire water sector,” he said.

Part of the implementation includes a target of raising the population in its area of jurisdiction with access to safe water to around 80%, approximately 6.4 million people.

At the same time, AWWDA wants to improve access to sanitation to 60%, around 4.8 million of the people in the counties of Murang’a, Kiambu and Nairobi.

“We need to change our thinking on what is really open defecation because even from good homes the waste water still goes directly into the rivers without being treated,” said Winnie Guchu, the Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Water and Sanitation.

In order to fulfill its targets, the Athi Water Works Development Agency will seek to generate Ksh234.7 billion, which will be for financing water and sanitation infrastructure development.

At the same time, the Athi Water Works Development Agency revealed a new brand logo.

The new logo features an A in shades of blue, with a brown gear, perhaps symbolizing the waterworks, attached to the bottom of the A sign.

Introducing @AthiWaterWorks new brand towards accelerating access to water and sanitation #WaterChampKe pic.twitter.com/GVhsoywCCn

— Athi Water Works (@AthiWaterWorks) August 16, 2019

The Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) is one of the eight Water Works Development Agencies (WWDA) established under the Ministry of Water and Sanitation. Others include the Lake Victoria North Water Works Development Agency, Northern Water Works Development Agency, and Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency.

The Water Works Agencies are operationalized by Kenya’s constitution which safeguards that every person has the right to reasonable standards of sanitation and to clean and safe water in adequate quantities.

Prior to the 2010 constitution, they were known as Water Services Boards. The 2016 Water Act, which came in to supplement the new constitution specified that development and management of national public works is to be undertaken by WWDAs. At the same time, each county was granted its own water works development agency.