Kick-Off of the Fifth K-WASH Implementation Support Mission.

The Fifth Implementation Support Mission of the Kenya Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (K-WASH) Program was officially launched today in Nairobi, with the meeting presided over by the Water Secretary, @Eng Sam Alima. The kick-off meeting brought together key stakeholders from the World Bank, the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF), the Council of Governors (CoG), the State Department for Basic Education, and the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards. The mission aims to assess progress in the implementation of the K-WASH Program and strengthen coordination among national and county-level actors. Discussions during the meeting focused on reviewing overall implementation progress under both the Investment Project Financing (IPF) and the Program-for-Results (PforR) components. Participants also examined the status of actions agreed upon during the previous mission, including progress on the Program Action Plan (PAP) and the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP). The mission will also assess progress on Government of Kenya commitments under the program, evaluate year one disbursements to counties with Water Service Providers (WSPs) and the utilization of these funds, and review the performance of key national agencies, including WASREB and WSTF. Coordination with other key ministries — particularly the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Department of Refugee Services (DRS) — also featured in the discussions. In the afternoon, the team proceeded to Weston Hotel for technical sessions focusing on the implementation of the program’s results areas. Deliberations on Result Area 1, which covers Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) 2 and 3, included presentations on the progress of program for results-supported activities, plans for Year Two implementation, and updates on Verification Protocol (VP) compliance for Year One results, as well as the way forward. The team also reviewed progress under Result Area 2, covering DLIs 4 and 5. Presentations highlighted the progress of program for results activities, plans for year two to unlock disbursements, and implementation of WASH in Schools. Stakeholders further discussed progress on the verification protocol VP compliance for Year One results and outlined key actions to guide the next phase of implementation. The mission will continue with further engagements aimed at strengthening program delivery and accelerating access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services across the 19 participating counties.