The State Department for Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Kipronoh Rono on Thursday, April 27 unveiled the government's plan to save Ksh10 billion lost annually.
Kipronoh noted that the government was gearing up to launch a specialised water revenue enforcement unit as part of a multi-agency intervention that will see the country save billions lost annually through non-water revenue (NRW).
The PS stated that the enforcement unit would work closely with Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) to safeguard key investments in the water sector to assist in eliminating revenue losses through compliance.
“What is lost to non-water revenue is money that can be plowed back into the economy and help us provide clean and safe water to more Kenyans,” he stated.
He explained that non-water revenue was caused by non-payment of consumed water, illegal connections, leakages, and erroneous metering.
The PS argued that the money lost in different counties could be used for other development projects.
In January, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki detailed he was in liaison with the Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome to ensure that there was no unauthorised access to critical water sources.
“The government is very keen to ensure that criminal elements do not pose a danger to national security by accessing water sources such as dams, reservoirs, and boreholes which has necessitated the formation of this special police unit to ensure they are safe,” Kindiki explained.
The CS disclosed that he had Gazetted the critical water sources under the Protected Areas Act.
President William Ruto vowed to increase the number of dams in the country to guarantee water security.
Ruto explained that the dams will help rebuild agriculture and ensure Kenya is self-reliant and reduce imported food products.
"If we produce more food, it means more earnings for our farmers and more jobs for our youth," the President explained.
