The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy has demanded urgent corrective action from the management of the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Authority (LVSWWDA) over several non-functional water projects in Migori, Nyamira, Kisii, and Bomet counties, despite contractors having received full or substantial payments.
The Committee, chaired by Pokot South MP Hon. David Pkosing, noted that contractors had been paid and issued with completion certificates for key water projects intended to serve residents in the affected counties. However, the projects remain non-operational, with dry taps and empty boreholes denying communities access to water.
The concerns were raised when the LVSWWDA management, led by Chief Executive Officer Ms. Jackline Kemunto, appeared before the Committee to respond to audit queries contained in the Authority’s reports for the financial years 2018/2019 to 2024/2025.
According to the Office of the Auditor General, site visits conducted in June 2025 confirmed that water taps remained dry at Mabera Primary School Borehole, drilled at a cost of Kshs. 6,057,862; Alara Nyambija Catholic Church Borehole (Kshs. 4,300,820); Isoge Water Supply Project (Kshs. 8,465,222); and Ramasha Borehole Phase II (Kshs. 6,034,527).
Hon. Pkosing said the projects did not provide value for money since they had failed to achieve their intended purpose, adding that the situation amounted to a breach of the law.
“This contravenes Section 79(2)(b) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, which requires public resources to be used effectively and economically to deliver the intended benefits,” said Hon. Pkosing.
In response, Ms. Kemunto informed the Committee that the Authority had written to the respective contractors requiring them to rectify the defects. She explained that some of the projects had become non-functional due to electricity disconnections, while others had broken down because of inadequate maintenance.
She further noted that maintaining many of the rural water supply projects was expensive and beyond the financial capacity of the local water management committees, making cost recovery a major challenge.
“Nevertheless, access to safe and adequate water is a constitutional right, and the government has a duty to ensure that such essential services are provided. In the short term, the Agency will undertake the necessary pump servicing on behalf of the water management committee,” Ms. Kemunto told the Committee.
The Committee also examined the case of a borehole at Kikimirai Central Primary School in Bomet County, where drilling was undertaken under a contract valued at Kshs. 2.2 million, but the borehole turned out to be dry.
The Auditor General reported that the contracted works included preliminary and general items, borehole drilling and development, a 24-hour constant discharge test, and water quality analysis. By the time of the audit, certified payments totaling Kshs. 1,179,450 had been made, including Kshs. 80,000 for test pumping and recovery measurements.
However, a field verification conducted on June 18, 2025 confirmed that although the borehole had been drilled, it was dry.
“This is very serious. It shows that no proper survey or testing was undertaken to establish the water production potential before the project commenced,” Hon. Pkosing observed.
The Authority maintained that it had engaged a duly registered professional hydrogeophysical expert who recommended drilling based on scientific data. Ms. Kemunto explained that hydrogeophysical surveys are probability-based and that the actual water yield can only be confirmed during drilling.
The Committee also raised concerns over other unresolved audit issues, including non-functional boreholes near dispensaries, stalled water supply projects, and boreholes that had been drilled but were yet to be equipped for operation.
To ensure accountability, the Committee resolved to summon the Authority’s management for a follow-up meeting to provide a comprehensive status update on the implementation of corrective measures for all the affected projects.