By ERIC JUMA
Impact Water, a non-governmental organisation, has partnered with the Siaya County Government to improve access to safe water in schools hosting Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres.
Under the five-year agreement signed with the county’s Health Department, the organisation will install 100-litre water tanks in schools and maintain water treatment systems to ensure learners have access to safe drinking water.
Impact Water Country Director Emily Kirigha said the organisation would finance 80 per cent of the project costs, while the county government would contribute the remaining 20 per cent through its County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).
Speaking during a meeting with health and education stakeholders in Siaya town, Kirigha said the organisation would procure chlorine tablets, maintain the water systems, support behavioural change initiatives, collect monitoring data and conduct annual water quality tests.
The organisation will also undertake regular chlorine testing to ensure the water remains safe for consumption.
“We shall procure tablets, maintain the operations of the water tanks, implement the behavioural change component, collect monitoring data, conduct annual water quality tests and carry out daily or timely chlorine testing to ensure the water is treated,” Kirigha said.
She said the county government would allocate funds annually to procure and distribute chlorine tablets to participating schools, ensuring learners have continuous access to treated water throughout the school calendar.
Kirigha said the programme was being piloted in four counties—Siaya, Nyamira, Makueni and Kisii—with memoranda of understanding already signed with Siaya and Nyamira.
She added that the organisation intended to expand the programme through further agreements with county governments in the coming years.
The initiative seeks to improve access to clean water and promote better hygiene in learning institutions, particularly public schools.
Kirigha said the idea was conceived in 2014 as the organisation sought affordable, accessible and scalable solutions to help learners access safe drinking water in schools.
“We thought of the idea because we value the lives of learners. The health of a learner is very crucial when it comes to their growth, but also their academic progression,” she said.
Kirigha noted that exposure to contaminated water could affect learners’ health and concentration in class, ultimately undermining their academic performance.
She said the programme was designed to minimise learners’ exposure to unsafe water and create a healthier learning environment.
The agreement also includes an exit strategy to ensure the county government can sustain the programme after Impact Water withdraws its support.
“In the event the programme cannot finance its activities or interventions, the County Government of Siaya will be equipped enough to ensure that the programme sustains itself after the exit of Impact Water,” Kirigha said.
She added that the organisation would build the county’s capacity during the five-year period to enable it to take over the programme and allocate additional resources through its CIDP and annual work plans.
Operations Director Lucy Mwache said school heads, health teachers and learners were being trained on the proper use and maintenance of the water systems.
She said six field agents in Siaya County were responsible for supporting schools and ensuring that the systems were properly managed.
“Field agents go to schools and train heads of institutions to take ownership of the programme, ensuring the tanks are safe, cleaned daily and the tablets used for water treatment,” Mwache said.
She added that each participating school had a designated health teacher responsible for ensuring the water was treated daily.
“We also take learners through a programme on how important it is to take safe water,” she said.
Siaya County has already allocated Sh500,000 for water treatment chemicals, according to officials at the meeting.
Siaya Water Director Henry Juma commended Impact Water for supporting efforts to improve water access in schools, saying the provision of storage tanks formed part of a broader initiative to promote rainwater harvesting.
He said reliable water storage would improve water availability and strengthen resilience, particularly in areas facing shortages.
“Children should not spend hours fetching water instead of learning. With reliable water storage, learners can focus on their books, maintain hygiene and thrive in a clean environment,” Juma said.
Education officials also welcomed the initiative, citing its potential to address water shortages and improve sanitation in learning institutions.
Education representative Dominic Aboke said the programme had helped improve water access in Bondo, where 630 schools had been reached through Impact Water’s products.
He added that 90 public institutions in the area had installed water tanks, enabling learners to access safe water. Aboke said the programme’s focus on schools was informed by the close relationship between reliable water supply, sanitation and effective learning.
