President William Ruto has commissioned a Sh8.4billion water and sanitation project in Kisumu, aimed at expanding access to clean water and sewerage services in the city.
The project was launched on the second day of Ruto’s four-day development tour of Nyanza region, which includes Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties.
The president said the project would help address longstanding sewerage challenges in Kisumu, including the need to expand the city’s existing wastewater system.
A major sewerage system is planned for Nyamasaria, which Ruto said would help double Kisumu’s sewerage capacity.
“We are starting a major project and sewer system in Nyamasaria. It will cost Sh8.4 billion to ensure that the issues of sewerage are addressed,” he said.
The project will be implemented in three phases. Ruto said the first phase had been launched, while the second was already under way. Details of the third phase are expected to be announced next week.
The programme is also expected to expand water coverage, reduce water losses by 27%, and improve the efficiency of the city’s water supply network.
More than 7,000 affordable housing units are expected to be connected to reliable water and sewerage services.
Major health facilities in Kisumu will also receive round-the-clock water supply and sanitation services under the project.
The government says improved wastewater management will help raise sanitation standards and reduce health risks associated with inadequate sewerage systems.
Ruto linked the investment to his administration’s wider development programme in Nyanza, saying the region would receive its share of national infrastructure investment.
The government has allocated Sh20 billion for road projects in Kisumu County, according to the president.
He said about 270km of roads were being constructed within Kisumu city. “I promised you that Kisumu will not be left behind in development,” Ruto said.
He also said the government’s development agenda was intended to shift the country’s focus away from ethnic politics and towards economic development.
“If we plan the development of Kenya, we must complete the politics of discrimination and tribalism,” he said.
Ruto is expected to visit Siaya before travelling to Homa Bay and Migori, where he will inspect, launch and commission various government projects.
The tour comes as the government seeks to strengthen its presence in Nyanza, a region that has traditionally been a stronghold of the opposition.
Development projects and infrastructure investment have increasingly featured in the administration’s engagement with the region as political alliances shift ahead of Kenya’s next general election.
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