NAIROBI, Kenya- Laikipia County is making strides in addressing its persistent water shortage problem by acquiring state-of-the-art borehole drilling equipment.
This significant move is part of a collaborative effort between the county government and the Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority (ENNDA), aiming to improve irrigation and enhance food security across the region.
Governor Joshua Irungu, speaking in Isiolo on Thursday, highlighted the importance of this partnership, emphasizing its potential to transform the county’s water infrastructure.
The new equipment, which includes tippers, caterpillars, water bowsers, and drilling trucks, will play a critical role in these efforts.
“The partnership is about pooling our resources to provide essential services to the people. While the county has the capacity for repairs and fueling, acquiring or leasing this equipment would have been a significant challenge,” Governor Irungu explained.
This collaboration will allow Laikipia to allocate funds from its supplementary budget to repair the equipment, with water drilling operations set to commence next month.
The Governor’s ambitious goal is to construct 300 boreholes over the next five years, ensuring that no resident has to walk more than three kilometers to access clean water.
Beyond drilling boreholes, Governor Irungu underscored the importance of enhancing water harvesting during the rainy season to prevent the significant loss of this precious resource.
This initiative is particularly crucial for supporting livestock, hospitals, schools, and community conservancies, all of which are vital to Laikipia’s thriving tourism sector.
“In partnership with ENNDA, we can undertake major projects that address the challenges of water harvesting and irrigation. By combining our resources, we can achieve much more,” the Governor stated.
The equipment will also be instrumental in constructing dams, further bolstering the county’s water storage capacity. This is a critical step in mitigating the effects of drought and ensuring a consistent water supply for both agricultural and domestic use.
Eng. Ali Ibrahim Hassan, Managing Director of ENNDA, echoed the Governor’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of improving water infrastructure in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (ASALs) like Laikipia.
He also extended an invitation to other ASAL counties in the Northern region to join forces in combating water scarcity.
“We’ve discussed how we can collaborate to enhance water infrastructure in Laikipia using this equipment,” said Eng. Hassan.
This regional collaboration is poised to bring significant improvements in water accessibility, benefiting countless residents across these drought-prone areas.
