How Digital Tracking is Securing Water for Thousands in Kenya
Lodwar, 27 August 2026
Turkana County and UNICEF have launched a cloud-based registry tagging 731 water sources with unique QR codes, revolutionising resource management and monitoring in drought-prone regions.
A Digital Ledger for Arid Lands
The SCORE II project, a joint initiative between the Turkana County Government, UNICEF, and key Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) partners, recently concluded a comprehensive audit of water systems in the arid sub-counties of Turkana North and Kibish [1][2]. The audit meticulously evaluated 512 water sources across six administrative wards [1][3]. To transition from static paper records to active, real-time management, the project has established the cloud-based “CoDuSYS” water sources register [2][3]. This digital system hosts the 512 audited sources alongside 219 newly identified points, bringing the total number of tracked water assets to 731 [2][3]. Each individual water point is now tagged with a unique QR code, allowing field officers and county planners to scan and access real-time operational data instantly [1][2].
Functional Infrastructure and Grassroots Management
The baseline findings from this digital audit highlight both progress and critical infrastructure gaps. Out of 395 assessed boreholes, 228 are classified as fully functional, which constitutes 57.722% of the county’s boreholes [1][2]. Currently, these functional systems serve approximately 56% of the local population, leaving a significant portion of the community reliant on less secure water alternatives [1][3]. To ensure long-term sustainability, the operational paradigm relies heavily on local stewardship. Approximately 55% of the total water sources are managed directly by community-level water committees working in tandem with local Water Resource Users Associations [1][2][3]. This decentralised management model ensures that those who rely on the water are directly responsible for its daily safeguarding and basic maintenance [2].
Accessing Services and Community Integration
For local communities in Turkana seeking to integrate into the SCORE II framework, participation is structured through local public health and water offices. Community water committees are eligible to register their local water points on the CoDuSYS platform by contacting the Ministry of Water Services or local Water Resource Users Association representatives [2]. To address sanitation, villages are run through a systematic “triggering” process to eliminate open defecation [1][2]. Currently, 187 villages—representing 30% of those triggered—have attained certified Open Defecation Free (ODF) status [1][2][3]. An additional 26 targeted villages are currently undergoing final assessments, with a strict deadline for ODF certification set for 31 August 2026 [1][2][3]. Local administrators can request triggering activities and technical training through their sub-county Public Health Officers [1].
Broadening Sanitation and Institutional Capacity
In tandem with digital water tracking, physical infrastructure development is underway to support vulnerable populations in schools and clinics. Partnering with the non-governmental organisation Welthungerhilfe, Turkana County is constructing twin, gender-sensitive sanitation facilities across seven schools and five health facilities [1][2][3]. This is part of a broader development plan targeting improvements at 21 schools and 10 healthcare centres [2][3]. To build local capacity to manage these systems, 683 personnel—including Community Health Promoters, Community Health Officers, Public Health Officers, and water officers—have completed specialized training in climate-resilient Community-Led Total Sanitation [3]. These developments are designed to bolster emergency preparedness, ensuring that designated healthcare facilities have the robust WASH infrastructure required to handle sudden public health crises [1].
Navigating Funding and Governance Challenges
The roll-out of these vital services comes at a critical time for Turkana, which remains Kenya’s poorest county with a poverty rate of 82.7%, encompassing 818,000 residents out of a population of 989,000 [5]. This extreme economic vulnerability underscores the necessity of strict financial oversight. Highlighting these governance challenges, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested three suspects on 26 August 2026—including a Senior Assistant Community Health Officer—over the alleged embezzlement of Ksh92.06 million in public funds between the 2013/2014 and 2024/2025 financial years [5]. The suspects are scheduled to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court in Eldoret today, 27 August 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to recover misappropriated public assets [5]. For development partners and county officials, securing transparent financial pipelines remains as crucial as the physical and digital infrastructure being deployed to secure Turkana’s water future [1][5].