The Upscaling of Basic Sanitation for the Urban Poor (UBSUP) project monitoring team from the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF) led by Eng. Charles Kanyugo, Fund trustee Ubah Abdi and Rose Muguchu visited Nyeri County to evaluate the progress of the UBSUP project to the beneficiary Water Services Providers (WSP’s) in the County.
The team commenced their tour with a courtesy call to H.E Hon. Mutahi Kahiga, governor Nyeri County. The governor commended the close collaboration between WSTF and the WSP’s in the County. The governor further said that the secret to success of the water companies in Nyeri County is accountability and transparency coupled with visionary leadership and zero political interference.
The team then visited Witemere slum in Nyeri town where 200 families benefitted from Safisan toilets constructed under the UBSUP programme. The beneficiaries thanked Nyeri Water and Sanitation Company for choosing Witemere which is a low income area for the implementation of the project which has greatly improved sanitation standards and impacted positively to the lives of the residents by eradicating diseases caused by poor sanitation.
Speaking at the meeting, NYEWASCO MD Peter Gichaaga reiterated the Company’s commitment to improving the sanitation standards of all in its service area. He also thanked WSTF for their continued partnership in various projects implemented by the company.
The company recently completed a sewer extension project which involved the creation of sewer extension infrastructure and actual household connections to the sewer system. The project which was output based was completed at a cost of approximately Ksh 288,000,000. The company has so far received a subsidy of Ksh 45,000,000 from WSTF.
He added that the new sewer connections have increased sewer coverage from 25%- 30% in Nyeri Central Sub County.
