TURKANA – The Turkana County Government, UNICEF, and key Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) partners have reviewed findings from a comprehensive audit of water systems under the UNICEF-led SCORE II project in Turkana North and Kibish sub-counties. The audit evaluated 512 water sources across six wards, revealing that 228 out of 395 assessed boreholes (58%) are fully functional, directly serving roughly 56% of the local population.
During the review meeting in Lodwar, Director of Preventive and Promotive Services Daniel Esimit praised the ongoing collaboration with WASH partners, noting that the joint effort has successfully helped numerous communities attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. Esimit urged partners to expand triggering activities to accelerate positive outcomes, while also calling for the water-system audit to be replicated across all sub-counties to create a live, unified county database to guide future planning.
Beyond routine supply, speakers emphasized the critical link between WASH services and emergency preparedness. Esimit highlighted the need for adequate water and sanitation infrastructure to support designated Ebola preparedness centers, a point reinforced by Director of Water Services Paul Lotum, who noted that operating without proper WASH systems in an emergency is “like fighting a battle with no weapons.”
To address sanitation infrastructure, County Public Health Officer Irine Mana shared that the county and partner Welthungerhilfe are currently constructing twin gender-sensitive sanitation facilities across seven schools and five health facilities, out of a targeted 21 schools and 10 healthcare units. Additionally, 683 health and water personnel have been trained on climate-resilient Community-Led Total Sanitation. To date, 187 SCORE II villages (30% of those triggered) have achieved ODF certification, with 26 more slated for certification by month’s end.
Representing UNICEF, Jackson Mutia reaffirmed support for bi-weekly SCORE II progress meetings to streamline partner coordination and monitor delivery. Mutia explained that the recent audit led to the creation of a live, cloud-based CoDuSYS water sources register covering 512 audited sources and 219 new points. Each water point is now tagged with a unique QR code for real-time tracking, empowering local management where community water committees currently oversee 55% of sources alongside Water Resource Users Associations.
The high-level review brought together key stakeholders including the Water Resource Authority, Ministry of Water Services, Diocese of Lodwar, Welthungerhilfe, Team and Team International, and Plan International to enhance coordination and accelerate SCORE II interventions across Turkana County.
