WaterFund Wins 2019 UNPSA

Water Sector Trust Fund Wins 2019 United Nations Public Service Award

UNPSA Trophy

Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund) is a recipient of the prestigious 2019 United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA), after its Up-scaling Basic Sanitation for the Urban Poor (UBSUP) programme was selected as one of the winners of the award under the “Delivering Inclusive and Equitable Services to Leave No one Behind” category.

Hon. Simon Chelugui, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, led the Kenyan delegation to receive the award in the city of Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, from the 24th to 26th June 2019.

(From left to right) Mr. John Kauzya (Chief of Public Services Innovation Branch), Ms. Alia El-Yassir (Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, UN-Women), Mr. Simon Chelugui (Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water and Sanitation) , Mr. Patrick Kokonya, (Chairman, WaterFund), Mr. Ismail Shaiye (Chief Executive Officer, WaterFund) and Ms. Stella Warue (Programme Officer, WaterFund)

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) received 523 nominations from 72 countries but only 11 institutions won the 2019 Awards. WaterFund is the only institution from an African country to win at the Awards this year.

Previous UNPSA winners from Kenya are Agricultural Sector Development Support Programme in the year 2018 and Huduma Kenya Programme under the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs in the year 2015.

United Nations Public Service Awards

The United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) promotes and rewards innovation and excellence in public services in support of the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the principle of ‘leave no one behind’.

The awards are organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). UNPSA is an annual competition that takes place on 23rd June, as the United Nations Assembly designated Day to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community.

Every year UNDESA makes calls for proposals requesting for submissions of projects that promote and support innovation and excellence in the public service. The 2019 UNPSA were awarded to public institutions that distinguished themselves in any of the below categories:

1. Delivering inclusive and equitable services to leave no one behind
2. Ensuring integrated approaches in the public-sector institutions
3. Developing effective and accountable public institutions
4. Promoting digital transformation in public sector institutions
5. Promoting gender responsive public services to achieve the SDGs

The winners are designated according to the UN Regional Groups, that is, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe.

Integrated Approach to Solving Sanitation Challenges in Kenya

According to the Kenyan Constitution of 2010, every Kenyan has a right of access to basic sanitation. Kenya is also a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which requires everyone to have access to sanitation by the year 2030. It is important to note that the current sewerage coverage in Kenya is 16%, and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation is employing great effort towards ensuring the coverage has increased. In order to reach the goal of access to sanitation for all by 2030, an integrated approach to solving sanitation challenges is needed.

The Up-scaling Basic Sanitation for the Urban Poor (UBSUP) programme offers an affordable solution for accelerating the achievement of SDG 6.2 (achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all), upon which the programme won the award.

UBSUP’s unique features that led to the winning of the award include: its great impact on sanitation services offered in an inclusive and equitable manner without leaving anyone behind; the nation-wide approach of the programme; cost efficiency; and the pro-poor component of offering a post-construction incentive for the projects.

UBSUP is financed by the German Development Bank (KfW), The Gates Foundation and the Government of Kenya at a total cost of KSh 1.46 Billion, with technical support from GIZ. The programme targets a beneficiary base of 400,000 people with improved sanitation services as well as 200,000 with access to clean and safe drinking water. The programme started in 2011 and will end in December 2020. WaterFund works with the Water Services Providers (WSPs) all over the country.

The programme provides a post-construction incentive or subsidy for the toilets at a cost of KSh 20,000 for a new toilet and KSh 15,000 for a rehabilitated toilet. The subsidy can only be paid after the landlords and house owners have completed the toilets which meet the specified given standards.

The WSP should also prove that they are able to cover the full sanitation value chain where the faecal waste is contained, emptied and transported to a treatment facility and thereafter the treated waste can be reused for productive purposes. In the sanitation value chain, WaterFund only provides the funds for the containment and for the treatment of the waste. Decentralised Treatment Facilities are funded as a full grant to be able to treat the waste generated.

Currently about 250,000 people have been reached out of the 400,000 people targeted for the programme. The target is expected to be met and exceeded with the implementation of the 2nd call for proposals. There are 18 DTFs being implemented currently and 15 more are expected to be funded in the next call for proposals.

Mr. Ismail Shaiye, Chief Executive Officer, WaterFund (right), uses a model to explain the Decentralised Treatment Facility concept to H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya (second from right), in May 2018 at KICC, Nairobi, during the launch of Ministry of Water and Sanitation’s Rapid Results Initiative (RRI)

Opportunities for Scaling Up the Sanitation Programme

The UBSUP programme has been implemented in 19 counties and the need is still evident; however, the current financing runs until the year 2020. WaterFund being a public national entity has a mandate to reach all 47 counties. There has been a lot of interest from different counties; however, financing is not adequate to meet the demand.

Given the merits of the programme, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation through WaterFund would like to scale up the implementation of the programme. This is in a bid to achieve access to sanitation for all by the year 2030 and also complement the Big 4 Agenda of the Government.

WaterFund proposes that the UBSUP concept be adopted as a government policy that would eventually facilitate wide-scale implementation of the DTFs in areas without conventional sewerage system.

The DTFs offer comparative advantage in the following ways:

1. The DTF is more affordable in comparison to the capital costs required for the sewer network and treatment
2. Low maintenance cost (no or less electricity consumption)
3. Requires a relatively small piece of land ranging from ¼ to ½ an acre
4. Responsive to the needs of the clients in terms of design capacities
5. High potential of local reuse of water, nutrients and energy depending on the DTF model
6. Offers an alternative where conventional sewer is not applicable
7. Shorter implementation period compared to the conventional sewer treatment facilities

During the Ministry of Water and Sanitation’s Rapid Results Initiative launch held on May 2018 at KICC, H.E The President gained interest in the DTF Concept. Consequently WaterFund submitted a concept to the Office of the President on “Urban and peri-urban water and sanitation programme” requesting for KSh 7.182 Billion for sanitation intervention that includes a water component for the hygiene purposes.

Award in Pictures

Hon. Simon Chelugui, CS, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, joins other winners on stage

WaterFund team receives the award

WaterFund team is all smiles with the winner’s trophy and certificate

The UNPSA Winner's Certificate

WaterFund Wins the 2021 UNPSA

Water Sector Trust Fund Wins the 2021 United Nations Public Service Award

WaterFund Receives the 2021 United Nations Public Service Award in Dubai, UAE

Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund) is the recipient of the prestigious 2021 United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA), after its Output-Based Aid (OBA) Programme within the Results-Based Financing section was selected as one of the winners of the award under category of “Enhancing the effectiveness of public institutions to reach the SDGs”. The theme for the 2021 UNPSA was “Innovating the Future: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs”.

Amb. Dr. Mary Khimulu, the Chairperson of WaterFund Board of Trustees, led the Kenyan Delegation to receive the award in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 13th to 15th December, 2021.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) received nominations from over 400 nominations from 67 countries but only 17 institutions from 13 countries won the 2021 Awards. Other winning countries in the year 2021 included Ghana, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Romania, Mexico, Italy, Bangladesh, Brazil and Thailand.

This is the second UNPSA award that WaterFund has received after its Up-scaling Basic Sanitation for the Urban Poor (UBSUP) programme was selected in 2019 (follow link for more details) as one of the winners of the award under the “Delivering Inclusive and Equitable Services to Leave No one Behind” category. Other previous UNPSA winners from Kenya are Agricultural Sector Development Support Programme in the year 2018 and Huduma Kenya Programme under the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs in the year 2015.

(From Right to Left) Mr. John Kauzya (Chief of Public Services Innovation Branch), H.E. Catherine Poland, (Under Secretary General for Management, Strategy, Policy and Management), Amb. Dr. Mary Khimulu (Chairperson, WaterFund), H.E. Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi (Minister of State for Government Development and Future, United Arab Emirates), Mr. Fredrick Josiah (Member of the WaterFund Board of Trustees) and Mr. Fidelis Tamangani (Manager, Result-Based Finance Programme, WaterFund)

WaterFund Presents the UNPSA Award to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation

WaterFund, led by Amb. Dr. Mary Khimulu, Chairperson WaterFund and CEO Mr. Ismail Shaiye, officially handed over the 2021 UNPSA Awards Trophy and Certificate to Sicily Kariuki, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation (MWSI).

An elated CS challenged more institutions under her ministry to embrace innovation and get back to the grassroots in identifying projects that will improve lives of Kenyans.

Also present were Dr Andrew Tuimur, Chief Administrative Secretary and Mr. Joseph Irungu, principal Secretary, MWSI. During the ceremony the Cabinet Secretary noted that the National Government’s mission was to ensure Kenyans were supplied with adequate, quality water and sanitation services. 

(From Left to Right) Amb. Dr. Mary Khimulu, Chairperson WaterFund, Sicily Kariuki, CS, MWSI and Mr. Ismail Shaiye, CEO WaterFund

United Nations Public Service Awards

The United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) promotes and rewards innovation and excellence in public services in support of the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the principle of ‘leave no one behind’.

The awards are organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). UNPSA is an annual competition that takes place on 23rd June, as the United Nations Assembly designated Day to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community.

Every year UNDESA makes calls for proposals requesting for submissions of projects that promote and support innovation and excellence in the public service. The 2021 UNPSA were awarded to public institutions that distinguished themselves in any of the below categories:

a) Fostering innovation to deliver inclusive and equitable services for all including through digital transformation
b) Enhancing the effectiveness of public institutions to reach the SDGs
c) Promoting gender-responsive public services to achieve the SDGs
d) Institutional preparedness and response in times of crisis

The winners are designated according to the UN Regional Groups, that is, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe.

The Urban Water and Sanitation Output-Based Aid Fund for Low-Income Areas in Kenya

The US$11.10 million grant, which was signed on 5th September 2014, was provided to the Government of Kenya (GoK) by the World Bank with Global Partnership on Output Based Aid (GPOBA) funds from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). A subsidiary agreement was then executed between the GoK and WaterFund to implement the project.

WaterFund implemented the project as the Kenya Water and Sanitation Output-Based Aid (OBA) Fund for Low-Income Areas. The project incentivised Kenyan Water Service Providers (WSPs) to extend water and sanitation services to low-income areas using commercial loans from domestic lenders on market terms. WSPs also received technical assistance to support project preparation and implementation, including development of bankable proposals to secure commercial loans.

The project had two components:

- Component 1: Project implementation support, including technical support for WSP project preparation and implementation with a budget of US$2.55 million,

- Component 2: Output-based aid (OBA) grants to support capital investments in WSP projects with a budget of US$8.55 million.

The OBA grant of up to 60 percent of investment cost was disbursed to WSPs (channelled through WaterFund) based on three indicators:

i) Signing a loan agreement with a commercial bank, used to finance upstream works needed to achieve the connections (10 percent of subsidy);

ii) Independent verification of physical works, i.e., any infrastructure established by the WSP using the loan funds (45 percent of subsidy);

iii) Independent verification of achievement of pre-agreed individual household connections by the WSP using the loan funds (45 percent of subsidy).

Prefinancing of the Projects

OBA is a performance-based subsidy, meaning that most of it is paid only after the services or outputs have been delivered and verified by an independent verification agent (IVA). The subsidy targeted the poor by focusing on areas in which poor people live. Under the OBA Fund, WSP projects were pre-financed with commercial loans from domestic lenders on market terms. While the WSP was free to select any financial institution, Co-operative Bank, Housing Finance, Sidian Bank, and Kenya Commercial Bank had access to a 50% guarantee provided by USAID.

A WSP was eligible to receive technical assistance funding for hiring a consultant to assist with project preparation and supervision, to ensure that a bankable project proposal is prepared for evaluation by commercial lenders, and that the project was effectively supervised during implementation. WSPs contributed at least 10% towards the total cost of technical assistance.

The loans were used to fund investments that would provide household water and sewer connections, public water kiosks, and public toilets to low-income households. The OBA grant paid 60 percent of the project cost financed by domestic lenders, subject to a cap of $115 per beneficiary. Areas that were eligible for the subsidies were identified through MajiData, the water sector’s database for low-income areas, which has mapped over 1,880 urban settlements, considered ‘low income’ based on an index of quality-of-life indicators.

Award in Pictures

Kenyan Delegation at the 2021 UNPSA Awards. (From Left to Right) Mr. Fredrick Josiah (Member of the WaterFund Board of Trustees), Mr. Joseph Mucheru, EGH (CS Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs), Ms Linda Gwada, (WaterFund Communication Officer), Amb. Dr. Mary Khimulu (Chairperson, WaterFund), Prof. Margaret Kobia, PHD, MGH, (CS Ministry of Public Service and Gender), Ms Ruth Nganga (Manager, Partnership Development and Resource Mobilization) and Mr Fidelis Tamangani (Manager, Result Based Financing)

Heads of Delegations of the 2020 and 2021 United Nations Public Service Awards Winning Initiatives

WaterFund's 2021 UNPSA Winner's Trophy

WaterFund's 2021 UNPSA Winner's Certificate

Bernard Njenga

Bernard Njenga is the Manager, ICT at the Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund), having joined the WaterFund in September 2015.

Mr. Njenga is a proficient IT and consummate Communication professional with substantial and progressive corporate experience in the strategic leadership of the IT and Communication function, overseeing business-critical IT infrastructure and providing leadership in IT projects.

As Manager of ICT, Mr. Njenga is in charge of the ICT strategy and policy formulation and implementation, and management of the effective provision of information systems and technology for the Fund to realise strategic advantage and ROI on ICT investments.

Mr. Njenga has a sharp focus on leveraging use of mobile and cloud technologies in order to promote efficiency, effectiveness and availability of the Fund's core business operations while also promoting the use of best information systems practices among the users. He has a passion for demystifying IT and capacity-building non-technical people to confidently use IT tools to effectively and efficiently deliver on their objectives.

Mr. Njenga is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) (Management Information Systems), and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) (Business Information Systems) in which he graduated with First Class Honours. Both these degrees were conferred by the University of Nairobi. He is also a holder of Diploma in Computer Studies in addition to industry certifications.

Daniel Mutua

FA Daniel Mutua is the Water Sector Trust Fund’s Alternate Trustee to the Cabinet Secretary, The National Treasury.

FA Mutua is a Senior Deputy Director, Investment at the National Treasury. He alternates the Cabinet Secretary, the National Treasury at the Board of the Water Sector Trust Fund.

FA Mutua has over 30 years’ public sector experience in various Ministries including Ministries of Labour, National Heritage, and the National Treasury’s Directorate of Public Investments and Portfolio Management. He has intensive experience and in-depth training in areas of Investment appraisal, Risk analysis, Corporate Governance, Public finance, Project management, Development finance, Assets management and Public-Private Partnerships.

FA Mutua holds a B.Ed. (Economics / Business) from Kenyatta University (1991) and MBA from ESAMI/Maastricht (2006).