H.E. Hon. William Samoei Ruto, PhD, CGH today commissioned water and sanitation projects in Olkalou, Nyandarua County.

The President was accompanied by the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Cabinet Secretary Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Hon Zachariah Njeru, Principal Secretary State Department for Water and Sanitation Mr. Julius Korir CBS, Water Secretary Eng. SAO Alima EBS and Secretary Administration State Department for Irrigation Mr. David Kipkemei Yatich among other senior Ministry officials.

The chair CRWWDA and CEO Douglas Murei were in attendance as the implementing agency on behalf of the Ministry.

The Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation obtained financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the Kenya Sustainable Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Program (KSTWSSP).

The overall goal was to contribute to the quality health of life and reduce poverty levels of the population of Kenya through provision of water and sanitation services on a sustainable basis. It is against this background that the Central Rift Valley Water Works Agency prioritized the construction of the Olkalou Town Sewerage project.

The project is located in Olkalou town 150 KM North of Nairobi and 40 KM East of Nakuru. It involves the construction of a new sewerage system and improvement of the existing water supply system.

The Sewerage system has a design capacity of 3,300 cubic meters of water per day and is expected to serve a population of 68,800 people by the year 2040. The water supply works involves the construction of a water treatment plant with a design capacity of 2000 cubic meters of water per day and enhancing the production and distribution capacity of the existing system to serve a population of 30,500 in the year 2023.

The Sewerage works entail the construction of waste water treatment plant of capacity 3,300 cubic meters per day comprising of inlet works, aerobic ponds, facultative pond, maturation ponds, sludge lagoon and site works, laying of secondary and tertiary sewers 10.2 KM, among other technical components.

Among major components of the project that is complete include: water treatment plant, water pipeline, trunk sewers and ablution block.

Benefits of the project include creation of employment for over 115 people per day during the implementation process with youth engagement of over 80%.

The total contract value is KSH. 589,937,192.