I am delighted to join the National Water Harvesting & Authority (NWHSA) in the capacity of the Chairman of the Board. This is a great opportunity for me to join fellow colleagues and leadership in the water sector so as to serve the public through provision of water.
The right to water and sanitation is enshrined under Article 43 of our Constitution where every person has a right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities and the right to reasonable standards of sanitation. Additionally, water is the key enabler for food security, universal healthcare, manufacturing and affordable Housing;
I appreciate the efforts and milestones that the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation have achieved over the years even as we strife to achieve 80% water coverage by end of the year 2022 as a sector. The Ministry has put in place policies and regulations geared towards streamlining the operations in the sector for improved service delivery.
When I joined the Authority, the first thing that caught my attention was the slogan “Hifadhi Maji, Boresha Maisha” this sums it up and could not have been put in any other better way. Water is indeed life. Water is an essential requirement for prevention and protection of human health during infectious disease outbreaks, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
We realized that investing in water infrastructure and sanitation is one of the most cost-effective strategies for increasing pandemic preparedness, especially in resource-constrained areas.
I thank my predecessor Maj. General (Rtd.) Andre Ikenye for the great work he did during his tenure at NWHSA. I intend to pick up from where he left and move the Authority to the next level. The Authority has a huge mandate to Undertake on behalf of the national government, the development of national public water works for water resources storage and flood control.
As a board, our job is cut out. We shall offer policy direction and oversight to management to ensure the mandate of the Authority is effectively and efficiently implemented. I am confident that management and staff have what it takes to deliver on this mandate and exceed expectation. I urge staff to utilize their vast skills, experience and diversity to improve performance and service delivery.
Good Corporate Governance
I assure you of my commitment to Good Corporate Governance as per the Mwongozo code of governance which advocates for:
- Transparency and accountability
- Risk management and internal controls
- Ethical leadership and corporate citizenship.
- Stakeholder relationships
- Compliance with laws and regulations.
Remember, the solutions to the challenges we face lie in our hands. Let us all be ambassadors of this great institution and work hard for a better tomorrow. Each of us has a role to play. I shall continue to work very closely with our parent Ministry and all our stakeholders to steer this Authority forward.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Samuel Mwangi Thiong’o
Chairman
12th July, 2022