West Pokot county has secured Sh141 million in funding from the World Bank to expand access to clean water and sanitation for residents.
Water, Environment and Climate Change executive William Petot said the county secured the funding after meeting initial eligibility requirements, including approval of its County Water and Sanitation Strategy and Investment Plan.
“This approval was a key benchmark that led us to qualify for the funding from the World Bank,” Petot said.
The county has since convened a forum with its Kenya Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (K-WASH) Project Implementation Unit to prepare for the next phase of implementation.
The forum focused on aligning county operations with the Project Operational Manual and finalising implementation plans for the upcoming quarters under the World Bank-funded K-WASH initiative.
The county and the implementation team will seek to convert performance milestones into direct funding through the Programme-for-Results (P4R) mechanism.
Under the framework, financial disbursements are tied to verified outcomes. An independent verification firm is expected to review quarterly performance and targets by December.
K-WASH is a component of the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation’s Kenya National Water and Sanitation Improvement Programme (NAWASIP).
It is a six-year, Sh3.6 billion initiative running from June 2024 to June 2030. The programme supports the government’s goal of achieving last-mile access to clean water and adequate sanitation by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Nationally, the initiative targets 19 counties classified as rural or Arid and Semi-Arid Lands to expand access to water and sanitation and improve the financial viability of local water service providers.
Petot said West Pokot will now move into the next operational phase, which will involve wider community engagement to promote behaviour change, end open defecation and expand access to safe water.
Governor Simon Kachapin said the county has also invested in projects to improve access to clean water.
“Under my administration, we have invested resources in many projects that are now helping our communities to get water in their homes easily,” Kachapin said.
