It’s troubling that water remains more expensive than soda or packaged juice in the Lake Basin region, including areas around Lake Victoria, despite the region’s abundant water resources.

Access to clean and affordable water has long been a challenge for residents.

During dry spells, many walk long distances in search of water.

The region also faces poor agricultural yields, food insecurity, and, at times, severe flooding when it rains, which spreads waterborne diseases and contaminates available water.

These challenges are not unique to Kenya. Ugandan communities also struggle to access clean piped water, particularly those sharing transboundary water sources.

For fishing communities around Lake Victoria, families often fetch water directly from the lake.

The same water points are used for washing clothes, bathing children, cleaning fish, and providing water for animals.

The signing of the Angololo Multipurpose Water Resources Development Project agreement on April 16, 2025, offers hope for change.

The project aims to improve food production and access to clean, affordable water in Busia County (Kenya) and the Ugandan districts of Tororo, Namisindwa, and Manafwa.

A 2009 Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative report showed that access to improved water ranges between 60–70% in towns like Migori, Kisii, Homa Bay, Siaya, and Bondo.

In Uganda, access is inconsistent—from over 90% in Bugembe, Ggaba, and Masaka to just 18% in Kyotera. In Tanzania, towns such as Bukoba, Muleba, Geita, Sengerema, Bunda, Mutukula, and Musoma have access levels ranging from 13% to over 50%.

The Angololo project, backed by the African Development Bank-NEPAD-IPPF Special Fund and the Kenyan and Ugandan governments, will benefit 300,000 people.

 It will increase irrigated land, supply domestic water, host a mini hydropower plant, and support catchment management.

It is situated on the transboundary Malaba River within the Sio-Malaba-Malakisi (SMM) River Basin of the Lake Victoria sub-basin.

The project’s goals include improving health, hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition through clean water access, irrigation farming, and fishing.

 It will also enhance transboundary cooperation in managing shared water resources, regulate river flow, and reduce downstream flooding—supporting future dam operations.

Kenyan engineer Dr. Isaac Alukwe, Regional Coordinator of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP_CU) and former Busia County Executive Committee Member, will lead the project.

Once completed, the project will feature a 30-meter-high dam with a 43-million-cubic-meter reservoir.

It will supply potable water to 20,000 people, irrigate 3,300 hectares (1,180 ha in Kenya and 2,120 ha in Uganda), and generate 1.75 MW of hydropower.

 Covering a catchment area of 430 square kilometres, the project is listed as a priority in the AU NEPAD IPPF pipeline and the ADF-14 Programming Cycle. By VICTOR BWIRE, The Star