The Water Project Recognized by Kenyan Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2023 — Concord, NH

On September 27, 2023, the National Government of Kenya signed a path-clearing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Water Project, a United States-based charity. 

According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, 2.2 billion people currently struggle without clean water — a number that may rise given the worsening worldwide water crisis.

The Water Project (TWP) identifies schools, communities, and health centers without safe, reliable water and strategically implements new water points to fill those gaps within focused regions of Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone. Once the projects are built, TWP provides access to affordable maintenance and repair services to keep the water flowing. 

“The Water Project works to coordinate with local community decision-makers and to align ourselves with government development plans on every level,” says TWP Director of Program Spencer Bogle. 

“Long-term water development is not sustainable if the work is not complementing the local structures and policies. The MOU we have signed today with the National Government of Kenya affirms The Water Project’s strategic programmatic vision of full water coverage for communities across four sub-counties (Lurambi, Malava, Mumias East, and Hamisi).” 

This MOU will make it easier for TWP to site, vet, build, monitor, and repair water projects throughout Western Kenya, a region where the nonprofit has built a network of over 1,200 water projects to date. Each of these wells, rainwater catchment tanks, and protected springs moves the needle toward TWP’s goal of 100% water coverage: when everyone in the nonprofit’s service areas will have safe, reliable water close to home. 

“100% water coverage means reliable water on-site at every school, every health care facility, and access to water for everyone in communities within a 30-minute round trip,” Bogle continues. 

“Our relationship with the National Government of Kenya enables us to coordinate with different government and non-government actors to achieve this ambitious goal. Today, the government offices based in Western Kenya have ensured support for The Water Project to continue our work.”

This signing represents a significant collaboration between TWP’s US staff, its team members in Kenya, and the Kenyan government, all working to improve the lives of the rural population in Kenya. Involved behind the scenes in Kenya were the Regional Commissioner for Western Kenya, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, the Kenyan Office of the Attorney General, and the Regional Police for Western Kenya.

“This is a whole team effort, but I especially want to mention our Wester Kenya Regional Director, Humphrey Buradi. He’s the one building our relationship with the National Government of Kenya,” Bogle says. “None of this happens without any one of the pieces. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

Stan Patyrak, The Water Project’s Executive Vice President, adds: “People are the greatest solution to water scarcity. Families in Lurambi, Malava, Mumias East, and Hamisi sub-counties, our supporters, our teams/partners in Western Kenya, and the local/national government are united in building a future where everyone can access safe drinking water every day. We are thankful for this MOU between the National Government of Kenya and The Water Project that affirms the impact of our regional strategy and enables its future impact within the entire region.”

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The Water Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene services to people in sub-Saharan Africa. Their water projects are currently impacting over 820,000 people across their service regions in Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone.