In March 2020, Kenya reported the first coronavirus disease case in the country. The virus has since spread from the capital Nairobi to 46 other counties with over 36,000 people infected according to the Ministry of Health’s data dated September 13, 2020. Besides the disease burden, the pandemic has caused immense economic impacts characterized by the volatility of the Kenyan currency, poor performance of financial markets, and general job losses hence affecting many livelihoods. As the Government of Kenya (GoK) mobilized its response to the pandemic, USAID was able to support its efforts through extension and re-alignment of its Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (KIWASH) project. 

In Makueni County, the Chyulu Valley Water Project is a clear example of a community water business taking steps to expand water supply services through innovative ideas and commercial financing. Under the leadership of Veronica Musyoki, the project has increased its customer base from 7,000 to 20,000 in four years by constructing 11 new water kiosks and connecting 73 households and institutions to water. The company as now established a water bottling plant to boost group income and expand water access.

When the Wiser Secondary School in Muhuru Bay in Migori County opened in 2010, the community was hopeful that their children would be able to have a good education. But the lack of clean, reliable water at the school and in many homes meant students were often absent, helping their mothers make the treacherous journey down to Lake Victoria to collect water, or they were sick with a water-borne disease.

In June 2019, the Vaele Women’s Group – which formed in 2010 and offers members low-interest loans through a member savings plan – expanded its entrepreneurial sites by starting a sanitation enterprise to sell products and services that improve latrines in their community. They heard about this opportunity from USAID’s Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (KIWASH) Project.

As she skims through neatly stacked files on her desk, four water clerks sit patiently waiting to brief their manager on previous day outcomes. The silence in the room is frequently interrupted by the ringing phone. Meet Diana Rose, the first female manager of the Osieko Nambo Water Project – one of the main water supplier for 8,000 people in Siaya County. During the meeting with her technical team, she exudes confidence and gives directions and advice, emphasizing customer service and billing accuracy.

For three days in September 2019, 55 representatives from six county water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) departments and water service providers (WSPs) convened for a KIWASH-led training in facilitation skills and running sustainable water supply services. Workshops topics included: Water Sector Reforms, Gender Mainstreaming and Environmental Sustainability, Operations and Maintenance, Customer Relations, and Marketing and Financial Management.  

As a young boy, 55-year-old Silvan Kados recalls growing up in the rural village of Korondo in Migori County. Lush vegetation covered the area, streams babbled, and farmers grew plenty of vegetables each year to sustain themselves. Silvan’s parents were peasant farmers and knew the right times to plant based on the weather patterns.

After working as a pump attendant at a gas station in Nairobi County for many years, 57-year-old Timothy Kulavi retired to his rural home in Likuyani, Kakamega County. Retirement gave him an opportunity to venture into farming and also practice his childhood dream of carpentry and masonry. It did not take long before he was elected as a community health volunteer in charge of one neighborhood in his village.

The Ivingoni Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Makueni County, led by their chairperson Catherine Nyaka, are taking steps to encourage community members in 20 villages to invest in improved and affordable sanitation products for adequate toilets. The 35-member group are among 3,600 community health workers trained and supported by USAID’s Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (KIWASH) Project and other partners.

Leonard Ngoa owns a greenhouse at the heart of Makueni County. Despite recurring drought, he is able to run his agribusiness thanks to a reliable water source - the Masaku Water Supply Company.  The enterprise is owned and operated by the Muange Masaku family and supported by USAID’s Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project (KIWASH).