Bomet Water Company is implementing an extension of a water pipeline from Siongiroi to chebunyo which is located within the larger Chepalungu sub-county. This is a project which has been funded by Water Services Trust Fund to the tune of 19,564,067. The project area (chebunyo market) is approximately 20km from Kapkwen or Chebole markets. It is the biggest market in terms of livestock auctions in the County with no treated piped water. The existing forms of water used are mainly from dams, rivers. Chebunyo is a low income area characterized by temporary housing units and crowded housing.
The parameters that were considered in selecting this project area are as follows; there is acute lack of safe drinking water which the project seeks to bridge the gap. There is also a prevalence of water-borne diseases as a direct culmination of lack of safe drinking water. The town is expanding hence the need for an urgent and comprehensive water provision. The water problem is exercabated by a high percentage of informal settlements in the area .Currently residents use water mostly from wells, unprotected springs, rivers, streams, pans, ponds. Chebunyo also lacks basic and proper sanitation infrastructure. There are shared social amenities. Settlement in the area is rapidly expanding due to growing business opportunities attributable to the livestock auctioning. The area is prone to diseases since storm water sweeps through the town into the rivers and pans used by the residents. This fact coupled with the occurrence of wastes in the pit latrines infiltrating into the nearby water sources makes it a matter of urgency that safe piped water is delivered into the town residents.
According to the local statistics office, the current population stands at 6,860 and will increase to 8,226 and then 9,865 in five and ten years respectively. These statistics underscore the need for the continuing development of a robust water supply infrastructure system that fulfills the following objectives:
- Promote pro-poor areas in terms of provision of safe wholesome water.
- Increase accessibility of safe drinking water in the company�s area of jurisdiction.
- Improve the hygienic conditions in the area.
The project comprises of extension of water pipeline by 8Km from Siongiroi to Chebunyo Market. At Chebunyo water is stored on a10m high elevated tank whose capacity is 108,000litres. Water is distributed to the shops and residents within the market centre by water service lines which have been laid in all the streets with a total length of 3Km. Three (3) water kiosks have been constructed complete with storage tanks (10,000 litres) for retail of water to residents. Water meters were procured for installation to individual connections to customers enroute to Chebunyo and within Chebunyo Market Centre. The project was officially launched by Governor Isaac Ruto EGH on 18th March 2016 in a well-attended ceremony at Chebunyo Market. The project construction is in progress and 95% complete.
The company is very much alive to the fact that key stakeholders which in this case is the public/residents and administration and County Government need to be actively engaged in this endeavor and has embarked on mobilization and sensitization activities which chiefly took the form of public meetings aimed at educating the residents on the importance of the proposed project in their daily lives,identify the beneficiaries of the project, to create awareness to the community and stakeholders to ensure they identify with and own the project through activities such as distribution of information brochures, public posters. The project implementation taskforce comprises of a wide spectrum of stakeholders namely: 5 company employees, the Area Assistant chief, County Area administrators, church representative, the town elder, sub-county water engineer, a public health officer, a community water officer, a disabled representative and two farmers.
Capacity building for the various players has been done starting from kiosk operators who were trained on meter reading, book keeping, managerial skills, entrepreneurship, public health and hygiene and public relations. Field staffs have been trained on good customer relations and performance improvement.
The project implementation is generally expected to be completed by the end of October 2016. Project commissioning is slated for December 2016.
