The Kenya WASH Alliance was launched on Wednesday, 27 June 2012 at the ACK Resource Centre in Kajiado. The event was graced by officials from the Ministries of Water and Irrigation, Education, Public Health and Sanitation, the Dutch Wash Alliance in the Netherlands, member partners of the Alliance in Kenya, stakeholders and the beneficiaries including women and school children from the local communities. The guest of honour at the event was Mr Jaco Mebius, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kenya.

The Kenya WASH Alliance is a membership of NGOs and institutions comprised of AMREF, NETWAS, ICRAF, NIA, NOSIM, Practical Action, SASOL KEWASNET, Moi and Nairobi Universities. The Alliance is a five year programme funded by the Dutch government to jointly implement WASH interventions in Kajiado County. The Alliance was borne in 2009 out of realization that the WASH sector requires greater synergy and coordination, in order to achieve truly sustainable interventions within the WASH sector and beyond through strengthening linkages and learning, building networks and using innovative web based ICT tools. The vision of the Kenya WASH Alliance is that all people are able to assert and realize their right to sustainable access to safe drinking water in sufficient quantities, adequate sanitation and hygienic living conditions in order to improve their health, nutritional status and economic living standard.

Speaking during the launch, Ms Hany Maas, the Program Manager of the Dutch Wash Alliance, emphasized the value of a multi-stake holder (government, stakeholders, communities and NGOs) involvement in achieving success in WASH in line with Millenium Develoment Goal 7 on environmental sustainability. She also thanked all the WASH partners in Kenya and Mr Tobias Omufuoko, the Kenya WASH Alliance Country Coordinator.

The first district officer for Kajiado Mr Jumwa representing the Kajiado County commissioner (provincial administration) pledged support and goodwill and security to the Alliance as well as and speeding up of policy implementation.

Inga Kimary works as a Communications Officer for AMREF Kenya