Drinking water & Sanitation

Capacity building in water management: Kenyan delegation visits OiEau as part of the Kisumu-AFD project

Published on 10/23/25

As part of a cooperation project supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a high-level Kenyan delegation, led by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, carried out a study mission in France in September 2025.

This visit, organised by the International Office for Water, is part of a strategic partnership aimed at improving the performance of drinking water and sanitation services in the Kisumu metropolitan area, Kenya's third largest city, located on the shores of Lake Victoria.

A major project for the Kisumu region

This four-year programme, which will come to an end in late 2025, involves several stakeholders: Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company Limited (KIWASCO), Kisumu County, Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA), Kenya Water Institute (KEWI) and the Kenyan Ministry responsible. In France, the project is supported by the SEURECA consortium, with technical and institutional support from OiEau.

The challenges are significant: developing sanitation infrastructure, improving service quality and, above all, reducing non-revenue water (NRW), which is a real challenge for Kenyan operators.

Nationally, our non-revenue water rate remains high, at around 44%. But in Kisumu, thanks to the technical assistance we received, we have managed to reduce it from 44% to 31% in just a few years. We are coming to France to learn from best practices and continue this momentum.

Samwel Alima

Secretary for Water at the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation in Kenya - 2025

A study mission focused on French best practices

The delegation's visit included meetings with key players in the French water sector, notably Veolia, local authorities and, of course, OiEau in Limoges. The programme included training sessions, demonstrations of innovative technologies (leak detection, connections, types of pipes) and discussions on performance-based contracts.

Thanks to our cooperation with SEURECA and its partnership with OiEau, we were able to see the effects of the training provided in the field in Kisumu. This really helps to reduce losses and strengthen the teams' capabilities.

Thomas Odongo

General Director, Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company - 2025

OiEau, a catalyst for capacity building

With 350 training courses in its catalogue, 45,000 m² of educational facilities and its support for the development of technical and managerial skills, OiEau is a key partner in this project. The prospect of a strengthened partnership with the Kenya Water Institute is also being explored in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of these actions in the country.

OiEau is proud to support this transformation process. The case of Kisumu perfectly illustrates how skills transfer, within a structured framework, can accelerate progress on key issues such as water losses. This project demonstrates the concrete impact of international cooperation.

Cédric Banliard

Project manager, OiEau - 2025

Outlook: towards a training centre in Kenya?

One of the most promising outcomes of this cooperation is the shared desire to establish a local training centre in Kenya, in collaboration with the Kenya Water Institute and French partners. Such a facility would help to embed best practices at the local level and provide long-term support to Kenyan operators in the transition to more efficient and sustainable management of their water services.