WASHINGTON, April 26, 2017 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a project to improve access to water and sanitation services for Kenya’s coastal and northeastern residents.
The Kenya Water and Sanitation Development Project (WSDP) intends to improve water supply within a national context characterized by rapid urbanization, economic growth and recurring drought cycles that has continued to put pressure on already stressed water sources. The project will endeavor to drive shared prosperity by ensuring that coastal residents benefit from more regular water supply and improved waste water and sewage collection and treatment services. Residents of Wajir Town and communities around Dadaab refugee camp in Garissa County will access more regular water supply, higher-quality water and improved access to on-site sanitation services.
“This project will enable the most vulnerable in coastal and northeastern communities of Kenya to access life-saving water and improved sanitation services which we know are critical for raising healthier families,” said Diarietou Gaye, World Bank Country Director for Kenya.
The project will focus on four areas: rehabilitation and expansion of urban water supply and sanitation services in the coastal region, expansion of water supply and sanitation services in underserved northeastern counties including Wajir and the Dadaab refugee camp host communities in Garissa County, national performance-based financing for investments and services in water and sanitation infrastructure, and finally, project management aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the recipient organizations (Counties and their Water Service Providers) in areas such as coordination and implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation.
The project to be implemented by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation will support Kenya’s Vision 2030’s goal to achieve accelerated and inclusive economic growth. It will achieve that by increasing access to clean water and sanitation services in major urban centers, expanding access to the poor in under deserved areas and strengthening sector institutions. It will benefit residents in Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Wajir and Garissa.
“The project will build on the overall delivery gains made under Kenya’s devolution where counties will implement county specific activities while the national government owned Water Service Boards will lead activities that involve more than one county,” said Andreas Rohde, Task Team Leader.
The total cost of the project is $330 million, of which $263 million will be financed by an International Development Agency (IDA)* Scale-Up Facility credit and another $37 million IDA credit. The Government of Kenya will provide $30 million in support of the project.
The program is fully aligned with the World Bank Group’s Kenya Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) and it also supports the World Bank Group’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $19 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa.
