KEPSA, through the KEPSA Water and Sanitation Subsector, committed to working hand-in-hand with the Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund) in promoting Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) within the water and sanitation subsector.

During an engagement meeting between members of the KEPSA Water and Sanitation Subsector and representatives from WaterFund, on 11^th October 2022, it emerged that the collaboration between KEPSA and WaterFund could open up many PPP opportunities to promote investments. The meeting, which was held at the KEPSA offices, also discussed existing partnerships and networks in the water and sanitation subsector.

Present during the meeting was Mr Bill Lay – Chairman, WaterFund; Mr Victor Ogalo – KEPSA Deputy CEO in charge of Business; Mr Suresh Patel – KEPSA Water and Sanitation Subsector Chairperson; Ms Pascalina Kagunda – KEPSA Head of Membership, Marketing and Communication; Mr Ebenezer Amadi - Project Manager, Sustainable Inclusive Business at KEPSA and Mr Jeremiah Kiplagat - Data and Policy Research Analyst Assistant at KEPSA. Also present included Ms Mercy Waithanji, Ms Nancy Ngao, Ms Monica Dey and Mr James Ngomeli from Synergy.

The meeting was focused on selecting areas for each member to align the agenda and move forward from their directions. KEPSA acknowledged the significant step forward that the government and private sector have taken in addressing water issues in the country and, that the regulatory regimes should be beneficial to the private sector.

On his part, Mr Lay noted that the KEPSA-WaterFund partnerships will be very beneficial and that the timing was ideal. He observed that since the president took office, the issue of water has accelerated to the point where the president is confident in telling Kenyans that PPP can provide water for everyone.  “Before devolution, Kenya had eight water development agencies, and the Ministry of Water now has seventeen water agencies. Water will be privatized in the coming days, and boreholes will be made illegal in Kenya within the next three years,” he predicted. Mr Lay also said that the WaterFund’s collaboration with KEPSA was primarily to bring the ministry and the private sector together so that PPP can be completed more quickly and provide investment opportunities.

The meeting also discussed the objective and strategic interventions on five other themes of the water and sanitation subsector formulated in the October 2021 Workplan including Regulatory and Compliance Framework, Quantity and Stability of Water Supply Resilience Resource Efficiency and Water SDG Goals, Private Sector Investment in the Sector and Blue Economy.