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For Governor Dr. Julius Malombe, the story of Kitui’s transformation can be measured not only through speeches and promises, but through projects whose impact is increasingly being felt by ordinary residents.
One of the clearest examples is the Kangu Kangu Water Project, a flagship water initiative whose roots go back to Malombe’s first tenure as the pioneer Governor of Kitui County.
The project was first conceptualised in 2014 in partnership with World Vision Kenya, during Malombe’s first administration, as part of efforts to address the perennial water challenges facing residents of the largely arid and semi-arid parts of Kitui.
More than a decade later, the vision moved from the drawing board to reality.
On 19 September 2025, Governor Malombe officially commissioned the River Athi–Kangu Kangu–Mutomo–Ikutha–Kanziko–Mathima Water Project at Mutomo Market, marking a major milestone in the county’s efforts to expand access to clean and reliable water.
The project represents an investment of approximately KSh840 million, jointly financed by the County Government of Kitui and World Vision Kenya. It comprises a 224-kilometre pipeline network, 13 storage tanks and 52 water kiosks, with the capacity to serve more than 100,000 residents across Kitui South and parts of Kitui Rural, including schools, health facilities and urban centres.
The significance of the project is perhaps best understood through the experiences of residents who for years depended on distant seasonal rivers, unreliable water sources or costly water vendors.
The Standard reported that residents of Mutomo and surrounding areas had for years faced severe water shortages, with some households paying between Sh20 and Sh50 for a 20-litre jerrican. The commissioning of the project brought visible relief, with residents celebrating as treated water began flowing from the new infrastructure.
For Malombe, Kangu Kangu therefore represents more than a water pipeline. It is a continuation of a development idea that began during his first term and has now matured into infrastructure capable of changing the daily lives of thousands of families.
The project also illustrates how long-term development programmes can outlive political terms when they are sustained and completed over time.
According to KITWASCO, the project is to be managed by the Kitui Water and Sanitation Company (KITWASCO) to enhance sustainability, while the county government has also called on residents to protect the infrastructure from vandalism.
With water remaining one of Kitui’s biggest development challenges, Kangu Kangu has emerged as a tangible example of an investment whose impact can be seen beyond political rhetoric.
For Malombe, the taps now flowing in Kitui South tell a story of a vision conceived during his pioneering administration, sustained over the years and eventually delivered to the people.
Kangu Kangu is, in many ways, a project where the legacy speaks for itself.
ENDS///…
