By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 20 August 2026 - For many households in Homa Bay, the distance between a water source and the kitchen is measured not in metres but in hours.
That could begin to change after the government allocated KSh 524 million to Homa Bay Water and Sewerage Company (Homawasco) to expand last-mile connections and improve sanitation services across the county.
The funding is part of a wider push to turn major water infrastructure investments into services that reach ordinary households.
Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa announced the allocation on Wednesday during an inspection of the KSh 680 million Oyugis Water Cluster Project.
The investment, he said, was aimed at expanding access to reliable and safe water.
For residents, the stakes are high.
Clean water is one of the most basic requirements for a healthy household. It reduces exposure to water-borne diseases. It improves hygiene. It supports schools and health facilities. It also allows small businesses to operate with greater certainty.
In rural and fast-growing urban settlements, reliable piped water can also reduce the burden carried disproportionately by women and children who often spend hours looking for water.
Mugaa said the government could not afford to expand water infrastructure without paying equal attention to the quality of water reaching consumers.
That concern surfaced during his inspection of the Oyugis facility.
The CS questioned the effectiveness of the filtration system. He warned that the process appeared inadequate and could compromise the quality of water supplied to residents.
He ordered Homawasco engineers to review the system urgently.
He also asked Governor Gladys Wanga and technical experts from the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA), led by engineer Paul Agwanda, to provide technical support.
The warning introduced an important qualification to the county's water expansion drive.
More water does not necessarily mean better water.
A household connected to a pipeline still needs assurance that the water is properly treated and safe for consumption.
Homawasco Managing Director Tom Nyonje, however, disputed the suggestion that the filtration system was faulty.
He said excess water from Wire had just been pumped into the system when the CS arrived. This had filled the reserve tank and interfered with the normal percolation process.
The temporary condition, he said, may have made the filtration system appear clogged.
Nyonje maintained that neither the filtration nor reticulation system was fundamentally defective. He nevertheless welcomed the technical review ordered by the CS.
The KSh 524 million allocation followed a formal request by Nyonje to the ministry. Governor Wanga supported the appeal for additional resources.
Nyonje said the money would finance a major last-mile connectivity programme stretching from Oyugis through Homa Bay town to Mbita and Sindo.
The objective is straightforward.
Connect more people to infrastructure that is already being developed.
Ongoing works covering Oyugis and Kendu Bay are being implemented at a cost of Sh151 million. The projects are part of a broader attempt to strengthen water supply across the county.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo recently visited the sites and commissioned the works with Chair LVSWWDA Dan Omino and Eng Agwanda .
For Homawasco, the challenge now shifts from infrastructure development to delivery.
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Pipes have little value if they do not carry water to consumers.
Treatment plants have little impact if households remain disconnected.
And expensive water systems cannot deliver their full economic value if large volumes are lost before reaching customers.
This is where LVSWWDA's emerging bulk-water model could become important.
Chief Executive Jackline Kemunto said the agency would take over management of bulk water infrastructure. County water companies would purchase treated bulk water from the agency and concentrate on distribution and customer service.
'The arrangement is expected to improve efficiency and professionalise management of bulk supplies,'' Kemunto explained.
It could also help utilities tackle non-revenue water, a problem that drains revenues and reduces the volume of water ultimately reaching consumers.
The proposed model therefore seeks to separate bulk-water production and management from last-mile distribution.
For Homa Bay, that could provide a clearer division of responsibility.
The government and water agencies can focus on producing and treating sufficient water. Homawasco can concentrate on getting it to customers.
Governor Wanga welcomed the allocation, describing cooperation between the national government, county administration and water agencies as essential to addressing persistent shortages.
She said water was more than an infrastructure project.
It was a public health necessity.
It was also an economic resource and a measure of household dignity.
That argument captures the broader significance of Homa Bay's water investment.
When water is unreliable, the costs are rarely confined to the water bill.
Families spend more time searching for alternative sources. Businesses face interruptions. Schools struggle with sanitation. Health risks rise.
When reliable and safe water becomes available, those hidden costs can fall.
The KSh 524 million allocation therefore represents more than a new round of infrastructure spending.
Its real test will be whether it turns pipes, pumps and treatment facilities into a dependable service for wananchi.
For Homa Bay residents, success will ultimately be measured in simpler terms.
A tap that works.
Water that is safe.
And a supply that can be relied upon every day.
Homa Bay Water Lifeline: KSh 524 Million Push to Connect Thousands of Households
CS Mugaa said expansion of water infrastructure should go hand in hand with the quality of water reaching consumers.