KEWASCO Strives to Be a Leading Water Company Company in Kericho
For two years, the company operated without a water license against the regulations of the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), the national regulator responsible for overseeing the provision of water and sanitation services across the country.
By Peter Mutai
The newly appointed management of Kericho Water and Sanitation Company (KEWASCO) is working round the clock to turn around the once vibrant water company that was on the verge of total shutdown back to profitability and a leading water service provider in the region.
The team led by the board of Directors Chairman Mr. SirKelly Cheruiyot and the newly appointed Managing Director (MD) FCPA Reuben Korir have introduced far-reaching structural reforms geared towards turning around the company to profitability and a model of excellence water service provider.
Kericho Governor Dr. Erick Mutai (right) and his Bomet counterpart Prof. Hillary Barchok (left) signing the Task force report on the management of Itare-Litein water supply intake.
To help improve service delivery, the Chairman said the company was in the process of developing its strategic master plan, which is expected to be unveiled in January next year.
He said this will help guide the company in achieving its objectives of turning around KEWASCO and being a model of excellence in water service provision.
"When we came into office, we discovered that the company had for the last three years was operating without the guiding document as the earlier strategic plan had lapsed," SirKelly added.
For two years, the company operated without a water license against the regulations of the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), the national regulator responsible for overseeing the provision of water and sanitation services across the country.
"When we assumed office, we found that the water license that was issued to the company expired two years ago. We have since submitted our application for license renewal to the regulator for consideration.
We expect to be granted a new operating license before the end of January next year," SirKelly disclosed.
SirKelly said the company has procured an efficient Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to guide the water company to manage and integrate its main business processes in one system instead of using many separate programs.
He said this will help in ensuring transparency, integrity, and improved service delivery to the residents of Kericho.
The reforms have enabled the company to restore water supply to residents of Kericho town and its environs within a span of less than five months since taking over leadership.
KEWASCO MD. FCPA Reuben Korir in strip tie.
The latest remarkable achievement is the restoration of water supply to residents of Litein and Kapkatet towns and its environs who had gone for three years without stable water supply.
To ensure sustainable water supply to residents of Litein and Kapkatet areas in Bureti Sub-county, KEWASCO has been in the forefront in engaging key stakeholders both at county and national level to find a lasting solution to the perennial water shortage in the area.
This has culminated into the signing of a joint Task force report by both Governors Dr. Erick Mutai and Prof. Hillary Barchok of Kericho and Bomet Counties respectively on management of the bulk water system.
The report was prepared by WASREB. The report which was presented by WASREB Chairman Mr. Job Chirchir was witnessed by LVSWWDA Chairperson Mr. Daniel Omino and CEO Ms. Jackline Kemunto, Governors Dr. Mutai and Prof. Barchok, Chairmen and CEOs of the two water companies, respectively.
The adoption of the taskforce report will pave the way for LVSWWDA to fully take over the management of the Itare–Litein Water Intake, a critical facility serving both Kericho and Bomet Counties.
The intake, which produces over 8 million liters of water daily, will be registered as a Bulk Water Service Provider.
This is a significant step toward ending the perennial water shortages and disputes over electricity bills which affected water supply to residents of Bomet County and Bureri Sub-County County, Kericho County.
A fact-finding mission to the company and its water installation infrastructure reveals a lot of remarkable progress as workers work round the clock to ensure taps don't run dry again as it was witnessed two years ago that was occasion by bad leadership and lack of foresight.
Mr. SirKelly said that when they took over the management of the company, in August this year, they found the provision of water supply services grounded to a halt.
"As a board, our first assignment was to source and recruit a strategic and competent Managing Director to help turn around the company and restore the provision of water supply services to residents of town and its environs", SirKelly said.
FCPA Korir is the immediate former MD of Nakuru Rural Water and Sanitation Company (NARUWASCO), one of the major water services provider companies of Nakuru County.
Mr. Korir is a strict manager/leader who is guided by the principles of good corporate governance, accountability, and transparency aimed at ensuring prudent use of public funds.
SirKelly said plans are at the advanced stage to expand Timbilil water intake at the edge of the South Western Mau forest to increase water volume to accommodate the rising demand within Kericho town and it's environs.
On salary payment, SirKelly said workers based at the company's head office in Kericho had gone for months without salary, adding that they were four months behind schedule in salary payment.
He said workers based at Litein satellite station, formerly Tililbei water company, had gone for three years without pay as they were only paid net salary.
"Currently, workers can afford a smile to the bank at the end of every month to get their salaries," he said. Workers are being paid gross salary on the 3rd day of every month for services rendered to the water company, unlike the previous months where they were only receiving net salary.
"We are grateful to the recent team of management. We had gone for several months without salary. The new team is really burning the midnight oil to turn KEWASCO for the better," a water technician who declined to be named said.
KEWASCO Board of Directors Chairman Sir Kelly Cheruiyot in red tie.
"Some members of the former management have resorted to dirty schemes through proxies to mudsling the current team of management so as to derail them from achieving their dream of making KEWASCO a model of excellence in water service provision," he said.
The water technician said that to ensure an uninterrupted supply of water, they embark on routine surveillance of water supply infrastructure in the area.
The management said that the company has in the past suffered heavily from litigation cases instituted against the company due to complicity and carelessness.
To correct the situation, SirKelly said the company has now recruited a legal officer to guide the company on legal matters.
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