Germany Pledges €250Million in Kenya Water Development at the First Kenyan-German Water Week

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Hon. Eugene Wamalwa EGH, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Kenya, Maren Diale-Schellschmidt, and Prof. Fred H.K. Segor Principal Secretary National Water Services pose for a group photo during the Kenyan –German Water Week Workshop held at the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI).

Last month, Nairobi hosted the first ever, Kenyan-German Water and Wastewater Week, that saw German investors and government work to train their Kenyan counterparts as well as pledge 250 Million Euros in the development of Kenya’s water development.

German Ambassador to Kenya, Ms. Jutta Frasch, while speaking at the opening ceremony Kenya Water Institute confirmed that the two governments had completed negotiations on the same and the money would be transferred to the Kenyan government in 2017 and 2018.

A recent study by the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) revealed that many of the 91 water utilities supplying the country’s water are not able to afford maintenance and operation costs and need frequent cash boosts.

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa who officially opened the conference said that accelerated involvement of the private sector in water provision would enable the country to address its water scarcity.

“Kenya is a water-scarce country. Sixty-five per cent in urban areas are covered and only 49 per cent in rural areas. Sanitation stands at 20 per cent. Continued urbanization leads to more demand. Our economic growth is also raising the demand for industrial water,” said Mr Wamalwa.

“We support Public Private Partnerships and new technologies in solving water problems and we welcome our German experts to share with us their experiences,” he added.

Water experts from Germany attending the event also got to train their Kenyan counterparts on the latest technology and trends in water and wastewater management.

The German delegation was headed by the Country Director of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Kenya Ms Maren Diale-Schellschmidt.

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