Sidian Bank Water Tank Partnership with LVSSWDA Puts Community Harvesting at the Centre of Water Security

Kenya, 17 August 2026 - A public-private partnership between the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency and Sidian Bank is turning rainwater harvesting into a frontline strategy for easing water shortages, with the two institutions targeting thousands of households that struggle to secure reliable supplies for daily domestic use.

The partnership received a major boost after Sidian Bank handed over 50 five-thousand-litre water tanks the first batch of 200 tanks requested under the initiative, in a move expected to strengthen household water storage and reduce pressure on conventional water supply systems.

Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency chief executive officer Jackline Kemunto said the partnership was designed to take water provision closer to communities by encouraging households to harvest and store rainwater for domestic use.

Kemunto said the agency had partnered with the bank because improving access to water required more than expanding conventional infrastructure.

“We have partnered with Sidian Bank to promote community water harvesting and support thousands of households in need of water for domestic use every day,” Kemunto said.

The initiative comes as water security remains a major development challenge for many households, particularly in communities where piped supplies are either unreliable or unavailable.

A 5,000-litre tank can provide a household with a substantial storage buffer, allowing families to capture rainwater when it is available and retain it for use during periods of scarcity.

The intervention therefore represents more than the donation of plastic tanks. It points to a broader shift towards decentralised water management, where households become active participants in securing their own water supplies while government agencies and private companies provide the infrastructure and technical support needed to make that possible.

Sidian Bank Country Branches Manager Loyce Mwangi said the initiative forms part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility programme, reflecting its commitment to supporting communities beyond conventional banking services.

Mwangi said the bank considered water access a critical component of community welfare and development, making the investment in water harvesting a natural fit within its CSR interventions.

“This is part of the bank’s CSR projects,” Mwangi said, signalling the bank’s intention to use its social investment programmes to respond to pressing needs within communities.

For the Lake Victoria South region, the partnership could also demonstrate how corporate capital can complement public investment in essential infrastructure. Water projects are often capital-intensive and can take years to reach every household. Household-level storage offers a relatively immediate intervention that can improve resilience while larger water infrastructure projects are developed.

Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency Board chair Dan Omino said the programme could eventually be expanded to include young people, creating opportunities for them to participate and benefit from the initiative.