Water CS Emphasizes Timeliness and Efficiency in Water Infrastructure Development

The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Mugaa, has recently inspected the ongoing water and irrigation projects in Uasin Gishu County ahead of President William Ruto’s visit, where he is expected to launch several development projects in the North Rift region. During the visit, CS Mugaa called on contractors to ensure that all projects are completed on time, emphasizing the importance of adhering to set timelines and contractual obligations.

"We have situations where contractors who have, in a way, not adhered to contract requirements. Engineering contracts have timelines. Timelines require that you do the job and do it well in that prescribed contract duration. Any extension is an expense on the current expenditure," he said.

He expressed concern over delays, urging contractors who have not met project deadlines or failed to comply with contract specifications to improve their performance. Eng. Mugaa stressed that the timely completion of projects is essential for improving the delivery of services to the public and for ensuring that the resources allocated for these projects are used efficiently.

A key focus for the Ministry, according to Eng. Mugaa, is building the technical capacity of the Northern Rift Water Works Development Agency. The agency has been actively recruiting engineers and technical staff to ensure that future projects are well prepared and ready for implementation. By strengthening the agency’s technical expertise, Eng. Mugaa hopes to attract foreign investment to fund large-scale water and irrigation projects. He emphasized that well-packaged projects are more likely to secure the necessary funding and drive development.

Eng. Mugaa emphasized on the need to reduce water losses. He called on water service providers and county governments to take urgent steps to minimize waste, which will allow the resources to be directed towards expanding water networks and increasing access to these essential services. He spoke on the importance of accountability within the sector.

He urged all stakeholders, including contractors, to take responsibility for their roles and ensure that they meet the expectations set in their contracts. The successful completion of these projects, he said, relies on the collective efforts of all involved, and it is critical that everyone remains committed to achieving the goals set out for the development of the country’s water infrastructure.

"We are calling on consultants and the contractors to ensure that contracts are done on time and in case there are issues, let them come as early as possible especially during these tours so that we nationally address them as a team, so that all leaders are involved, and ensure that the people of Kenya get value for their money in all the projects that they are doing," he added.