The Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation has announced a crackdown on unregistered and rogue water drillers across the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, June 18, the ministry affirmed that the weeding out of these businesses will be pivotal in restoring professionalism, integrity, and accountability in borehole drilling in the country.
The ministry further revealed that it will reinforce regulations in the sector to ensure that every driller in the country firmly adheres to the set standards and environmental best practices.
Additionally, the ministry stressed that upholding the recommended drilling practices will safeguard the well-being of people and industries that heavily rely on groundwater.
The announcement was made after the Principal Secretary for Water and Sanitation, Julius Korir, held a meeting with the Rig Drillers Association of Kenya to deliberate on how the government can expand water accessibility in the country.
"The PS assured members that the Ministry is committed to convening all relevant stakeholders to weed out unscrupulous and unregistered drillers, safeguarding the industry and protecting communities relying on groundwater resources," the ministry stated.
Drilling a borehole is an essential activity in many parts of Kenya, especially in areas where access to clean and reliable water is limited. However, for one to kickstart a borehole drilling business, one must adhere to legal requirements and necessary permits to ensure that the operation is legal.
For one to become a borehole driller in Kenya, one must have several permits and licenses, including a hydrogeological survey report, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and a Water Resources Authority (WRA) permit.
According to WRA, which is the regulatory body for water resources in Kenya, unlicensed borehole drillers risk significant penalties, including fines of up to Ksh1 million or a jail term of up to two years.
The announcement comes three months after the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) directed all the small-scale water service providers to register with the board.
In a notice issued by the board on Tuesday, March 18 the registration of these businesspeople, who include community water projects, gated community water providers, private or individual water operators, and public benefit or non-governmental organisation (NGO) water projects, is in line with the Water Act 2016, which mandates that all water service providers must be licensed.
“Section 85(1) of the Water Act 2016 provides that a person shall not provide water services unless under the authority of a licence issued by the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB). Pursuant to this section, notice is hereby given to all water service system operators who supply water services in all 47 counties in Kenya to register their operations with WASREB,” the notice read.
