The Turkana County Government and UNICEF, together with other Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) partners, have reviewed findings from an audit of water systems under the UNICEF-led SCORE II project being implemented in Turkana North and Kibish Sub-Counties.
The audit assessed 512 water sources across six wards, establishing that 228 of the 395 boreholes assessed, equivalent to 58%, were fully functional and directly serving approximately 56% of the population in the area.
Speaking during the review meeting, Daniel Esimit, Director of Preventive and Promotive Services, acknowledged the longstanding partnership between the county government and WASH partners.
Esimit said the collaboration had contributed to improved sanitation outcomes, including the certification of several villages as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
“We acknowledge the support received from partners as we have celebrated a number of villages achieving ODF status. It is my urge that more triggering is done for even better outcomes,” Esimit said.
He called for the water systems audit to be expanded to other parts of Turkana to create an updated database that can support evidence-based planning and decision-making.
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“On the audit of water systems done in Turkana North and Kibish, the same should be replicated across the county so that we have an updated database of all our water system information at any given time,” he said.
Esimit also highlighted the importance of WASH services in preventing diseases and strengthening emergency preparedness, particularly at designated Ebola preparedness centres.
He said adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services should form an integral part of emergency response mechanisms.
21 Schools and 10 Health Facilities Targeted
Turkana County Public Health Officer Irine Mana said the county government, in partnership with Welthungerhilfe, had identified 21 schools and 10 healthcare facilities to benefit from improved sanitation facilities.
Mana said construction of twin gender-sensitive sanitation facilities was ongoing in seven schools and five health facilities.
She added that 683 personnel, including Community Health Promoters, Community Health Officers, Public Health Officers and water officers, had been trained on climate-resilient Community-Led Total Sanitation.
According to Mana, 187 villages under SCORE II have so far been certified as Open Defecation Free, representing 30% of the villages triggered under the programme.
A further 26 villages are target for ODF certification by the end of August.
UNICEF Supports Digital Water Monitoring System
UNICEF Representative Jackson Mutia reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting bi-weekly SCORE II progress update meetings to improve coordination, monitor implementation and accelerate results among WASH partners.
Mutia said the project had supported the water systems audit in Turkana North and Kibish, resulting in the creation of a live, cloud-based CoDuSYS water sources register.
The digital register captures the 512 audited water sources and 219 newly added water points, with each water point assigned a unique QR code.
The system allows information on the water points to be regularly updated and provides the county government and development partners with a central database for monitoring, planning and decision-making.
The audit also established that 55% of the water sources were managed by community water committees, with the involvement of local Water Resource Users Associations.
County Stresses WASH in Emergency Preparedness
In his closing remarks, Director of Water Service Paul Lotum reiterated the importance of reliable WASH systems in emergency preparedness, particularly at designated Ebola response centres.
“Without proper WASH systems in place, it would be like fighting a battle with no weapons,” Lotum said.
Lotum said the audit dashboard aligns with the County Government’s policy and planning systems and would serve as an important resource for both the county government and its partners.
He said the platform would help stakeholders deliver timely, measurable and evidence-based interventions across Turkana.
The multi-agency meeting brought together representatives from the Turkana County Government, UNICEF, Water Resources Authority, Ministry of Water Services, Diocese of Lodwar, Welthungerhilfe, Team and Team International, and Plan International.
The partners committed to strengthening coordination and accelerating implementation of SCORE II WASH interventions aimed at improving access to water and sanitation services across Turkana County.
