Having lived with water problem for many years, hope is finally coming to the residents of Kavunzoni in Kilifi County. – By Ramadhan Kambi.
This is after A Belgium NGO initiated a comprehensive water and sanitation project in the remote village found in Bamba ward, Ganze Sub County.
The project includes the drilling of boreholes, water pans and construction of toilets in strategic areas to curb open defecation which is rampant in the area.
The water will also be used for irrigation.
The Kitanda NGO has already sunk a borehole at Kavunzoni centre raising the hopes for the thousands of locals who have been living without getting clean water.
Last week, a forty feet container with a reverse osmosis machine for desalination of the borehole water and other borehole equipment was delivered to Kavunzoni from Belgium.
The move by the donours has been well received by both the local community and the local administration.
Speaking after receiving the container, Mitangani acting Chief Stephen Thethe said the borehole will address the water scarcity problem in the area.
“It has been a challenge for the community to access water but the borehole has provided a lasting solution. Children will go to school and stop babysitting their siblings as their mothers go out in search of water,” he said.
Kavunzoni and the entire Mitasngani location which borders Tsavo East national park have had no fresh water since independence.
“This borehole will serve more than eighty households in Goshi, Mitsedzini and Kavunzoni villages. This will be the first freshwater source in this area. This area receives very scanty rainfall and both livestock and people will not walk long distances in search of water as a pipeline will be constructed to different areas,” Mr Thethe said.
The equipment however is waiting for engineers from Belgium to fit them into the borehole.
“All the equipment was shipped from Belgium and because of the current lockdown in Belgium, the engineers and the donor cannot leave Belgium for now but once they ease the restrictions then the engineers will fly and fix the borehole,” he said
The Kitanda organization is led by Rudy Devinck as the president.
When he visited Kenya in March last year, Devinck said they were touched by the water problems and high level of poverty in the area.
“We want to bring water nearer in a way that the community will have to walk for not more than one kilometre to get clean water for use. At the same time offer them an opportunity for irrigation to lift them in a level that they can benefit in their lives,” said Devinck.
Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire applauded Kitanda organization’s move to improve the livelihood of the community in the area who have lived in poverty for decades.
“This will address the issues that have bedevilled us for ages including lack of water and the economic stagnation that has been witnessed in the area,” said Mwambire.
Residents in Mitangani locations have been trekking for more than 30 kilometres to look for water for their domestic use from the Siloloni dam in Kwale County.
At some point the community decried discrimination from the County Government and demanded the area to be included as part of Kwale county from Kilifi county.
The MP said they have already identified some of the crops that will perform well under the irrigation project.
“Apart from the normal crop farming the area is potential for beekeeping, fish farming and even the livestock keeping,” he said.
Mr Mwambire called upon the County Government and other Development Partners to support the project and said that it is the only way to change the narration that has been there for ages that Bamba is poor.
“The area is the driest and we are coming together for the interest of common vulnerable innocent citizens. This is the time to change it and be the best place for our people to enjoy a better living,” he added.
