The Kenya Water Towers Agency will rehabilitate eight water towers in Kitui County.
This is the agency’s effort to combat severe water insecurity in the semi-arid county.
The agency has partnered with other stakeholders such as Water Resources Management Authority, National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Forest Services, Kenya Forestry Research Institute and the county government.
The initiative is aimed at reviving the water towers which for many years have been degraded by human activity such as charcoal burning and over grazing.
Addressing residents at Ikisaya village at the foot of Endau Hills water tower, Dr Winnie Musila who is in charge of the ecosystem assessment, planning and audit at the water agency said that the coordinated effort of all stakeholders and the community would make the entire population from the drought stricken Endau and Malalani locations water secure.
Dr Musila said that the agency had prepared ecosystem management plan that was being implemented to rehabilitate Endau Hills water tower in order to maximize its potential of water provision to the local community.
“We have mapped out all the springs and the seasonal rivers that originate from the water tower. What is needed now is sustainable management and conservation of the water tower to bring out its full potential,” Musila said.
She noted that a tender to rehabilitate two gulleys at the water tower had been floated, adding that the water agency would also support the communities living around the water towers to start income generating activities so that they do not destroy the ecosystem.
“Under community livelihood programme, we are giving the people a chance to prioritize their needs then we choose what activities to fund. Some of the activities could be beekeeping, poultry keeping and others,” she said.
Other targeted water towers are Mutito hills, Nuu hills, Mumoni hills, Mutha hills, Kyawea hills, Kavonge/Museve hills and Mutituni hills.
According to a study done by the water agency, Endau Hills water tower has 23 springs with 13 seasonal rivers originating from it.
Another study done by Dr Kennedy Mwetu, a water engineer who teaches at Kenyatta University shows that the water tower has two basins with potential to produce over 15 million cubic meters of water annually, more than enough to feed the whole of Kitui East constituency.
Kitui’s executive in charge of environment and natural resources John Makau said that his department had planted over 600, 000 seedlings across the county to conserve water catchment areas.
“The communities were being provided with seedlings and encouraged to grow trees within the water towers and conserve indigenous forests”, Makau added.