From humanitarian aid to county-led water systems.
The Sustainable and Inclusive Water Access (SIWA) project is a three-year programme, running from 2024 to 2027 in Turkana West Sub-County, with the primary objective of strengthening government-led water and sanitation service delivery for both refugee and host communities.
Funded by the Royal Danish Embassy and implemented by Amref Health Africa in close collaboration with the Turkana County Government, SIWA supports a deliberate transition from humanitarian WASH provision to county-led, utility-managed systems, with a strong institutional focus on the Sub-County Water Office and KALWASCO.
Building county-led water for refugee and host communities.
Implemented by Amref Health Africa with the Turkana County Government, funded by the Royal Danish Embassy.
Three pillars, one resilient system.
Institutional capacity
Strengthening KALWASCO and the Sub-County Water Office to plan, operate, regulate and sustain water services for the long term.
Water infrastructure
Solarized boreholes, pipeline extensions, storage tanks, community water points, sand dams and water treatment systems.
Sanitation & hygiene
Inclusive school sanitation, WASH Clubs and Community-Led Total Sanitation for both refugee and host populations.
Putting local institutions in charge.
At its core, SIWA prioritises the institutional and technical capacity of KALWASCO and the Sub-County Water Office, so they can progressively assume full responsibility for planning, operating, regulating and overseeing water services.
The project strengthens KALWASCO in asset management, non-revenue water reduction, billing and cost recovery, customer connections, operation and maintenance, and climate-resilient infrastructure management. In parallel, it supports the Sub-County Water Office to enhance sector coordination, monitoring, regulation and enforcement.
Safe, dignified sanitation in schools and communities.
In schools, SIWA delivers modern, durable, gender-responsive and disability-inclusive sanitation: latrine and bathroom blocks with fixed handwashing stations and reliable water supply. School WASH Clubs then embed hygiene practices into the daily lives of learners.
At community level, SIWA uses contextualized Community-Led Total Sanitation tailored to both refugee and host populations. Through collective triggering, follow-up and verification, households build and use toilets, leading to the elimination of open defecation.
