For years, residents of Ngilukea in Turkana County have endured long and often dangerous journeys in search of water.
Women and children walked for miles to seasonal rivers and dry riverbeds, facing not only harsh weather conditions but also insecurity along the way.
That struggle is now easing following the commissioning of a new borehole that will provide a reliable source of clean water to more than 3,000 residents in the area.
The borehole, commissioned Saturday by Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, Regional Development Authorities and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Beatrice Askul, is expected to produce 5.8 cubic metres of water per hour.
The project was implemented by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), as part of efforts to improve access to water in vulnerable communities.
Speaking during the event, Askul noted that the new water source will transform lives in Ngilukea, a remote settlement in Suguta Sub-County, where residents have long depended on seasonal water sources that often dry up during prolonged droughts.
She said the search for water had exposed families to numerous risks, particularly in the volatile Suguta Valley, where insecurity remains a challenge.
“Women and children have often faced danger while travelling long distances in search of water. In some cases, lives have been lost,” she said.
The Cabinet Secretary added that pastoralists in the region have also suffered significant losses as they moved with their livestock in search of water and pasture, sometimes falling victim to attacks and cattle rustling.
Residents expressed optimism that the solar-powered borehole will reduce these hardships by bringing safe water closer to their homes.
Besides easing access to water, the project is expected to improve public health by reducing reliance on contaminated surface water sources that are associated with diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Local leaders said the availability of water will also support school attendance, strengthen livestock production, and help reduce conflicts over scarce resources.
Ngilukea Sub-location lies within the arid Suguta Valley, an area that experiences low and unpredictable rainfall and is frequently affected by drought, insecurity, and the impacts of climate change.
The new borehole is, therefore, seen not only as a water project but also as a source of renewed hope for a community that has long faced multiple challenges.
The commissioning formed part of the CS’s two-day working tour of Turkana and West Pokot counties, during which she also launched the Lomut Irrigation Project Phase II and Wei Wei Irrigation Project Phase III.
For the people of Ngilukea, however, the day brought the promise of a safer and more secure future.
By Peter Gitonga
