Mtwapa residents will no longer have to grapple with the perennial water shortage.
This follows the installation of solar-powered water treatment by Mtwapa Catholic parish and desalination plant to provide clean and affordable freshwater.
The solar-powered desalination unit will be turning borehole saltwater into fresh drinkable water with the power of the sun.
The project is a joint venture between the Catholic Church, Boreal Light, a German based company specialized in renewable energy and Water Kiosk.
The newly launched water kiosk produces fresh hygienic drinking water from saline or bacterially contaminated water.
The launch of the water desalination project on Saturday was graced by the Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa Bishop Martin Kivuva, Boreal Light Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hamed Beheshti and Water Kiosk Ltd co-founder and Director Samuel Kinyanjui.
The Archbishop Kivuva said the highly-cost effective plant will be providing potable drinking water at affordable rates to the communities living around the parish.
Addressing the media after the launch, Bishop Kivuva noted that the water kiosk in Mtwapa will be the first of a series of kiosks to be installed by the church across the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta to help bring affordable, hygienic water to the communities in the region.
The cleric said the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene cannot be overemphasized in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
He said the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygienic conditions is essential for preventing and protecting human health during this pandemic period.
Mr. Beheshti said Boreal Light GmbH is a Berlin-based company that developed an innovative water desalination system that is durable, scalable, and affordable.
He said the systems can be used with both brackish and seawater sources and is run entirely on solar-powered energy which is abundant in Africa.
Mr. Kinyanjui said the Water Kiosk Company is determined to increase access to water and sanitation services using solar energy across the coastal and northern parts of Kenya where endless burning hot sun is just waiting to be harnessed.
He a similar project will be launched at the Coast Provincial General Hospital and the Mombasa Hospital next week.
Ms. Lucy Nyambura a public health officer and a parishioner welcomed the development saying communities in Mombasa and its environs usually grapple with inadequate freshwater supply and sanitation.
“The lack of abundant fresh water supply in the coastal city often leads to high rates of diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases,” she said.
