At Onyinyore village in Gem, Siaya County, children carrying jerricans to a community waterpoint reflect the everyday importance of a rehabilitated borehole. Serving four kiosks, the project supports households, livestock and Divine Mercy Aluor dispensary. Behind that everyday scene is a locally led climate resilience project helping households, livestock and a dispensary cope with seasonal water scarcity.
Serving four kiosks and operated by a community group, the Onyinyore borehole demonstrates how investment in existing water infrastructure can deliver benefits that reach beyond the waterpoint itself. Its experience also shows that sustaining those benefits requires community ownership, dependable maintenance and continued attention to demand during drought.
During a field visit on October 8, 2026, residents and project representatives described improvements in access, particularly for older people who previously struggled to obtain water. They also shared how the community mobilised resources to replace vandalised solar panels, protecting an investment they had come to depend on.
The rehabilitation, which commenced in 2024, was financed through the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme. According to the project information provided, the World Bank-supported initiative enables grassroots communities and county governments to identify, prioritise and fund investments that strengthen local climate resilience.
Bringing Climate Resilience Into Everyday Life
The visit began at the area chief’s office, where the Project Management Committee (PMC) welcomed the team. Village elder Caleb Meso, who is also a PMC member, represented area chief Kennedy A. Ayieko, who was absent.
Among those present were Ward Climate Change Planning Committee member John Odhiambo, PMC member Everline Akinyi, and Kevin and Salim, who represented the youth and also serve on the committee. Their contributions brought together perspectives on water access, community management and the challenges of sustaining the project.
Everline described the rehabilitation as a success for village residents, highlighting the relief it had brought to older people. She singled out the Aluor kiosk as particularly valuable during dry periods.
“The borehole especially the Aluor kiosk station has been helpful to us especially during dry seasons. Our livestock get the water and we really encourage more funding for such to increase water supply in our community,” she said.
Her account captures the project’s role in climate resilience. Access to water during dry seasons supports household needs while also helping residents care for livestock, extending the benefits of the investment across daily life and local livelihoods.
The project has also supported Divine Mercy Aluor dispensary, which community representatives said has been receiving a steady water supply. That connection gives the borehole a wider public-service role, linking community water infrastructure with the needs of a local health facility.
A Community That Took Responsibility
Perhaps the clearest expression of community ownership emerged after the solar panels used to pump water were vandalised. Faced with the loss of essential equipment, residents mobilised contributions and, with assistance from well-wishers, purchased replacement panels.
Their response provides a concrete example of local commitment to sustaining the project. Residents acted to preserve the service, demonstrating the value they place on the rehabilitated borehole.
That commitment is also reflected in the arrangements for routine management. Kevin, a committee member who helps manage the water supply, said users pay KSh 10 for 60 litres, with collections supporting maintenance and the purchase of items such as padlocks and replacement chain-link fencing.
The payment system creates a means for users to contribute towards keeping the facility operational. Its effectiveness depends on consistent collection, accountable management and community understanding of how the money supports the service.
Alongside these operating arrangements, the committee has adopted a provision for households experiencing bereavement. Following agreement with community members, those households receive water without charge until the burial.
The arrangement illustrates how locally managed infrastructure can respond to social needs as well as practical ones. At Onyinyore, decisions about water provision reflect both the need to maintain the system and the circumstances of the people it serves.
Strengthening the Investment Through Local Partnerships
Gabriel Oduong’, the director in the County Government of Siaya’s WIECCNR department, encouraged the committee to build on these foundations through partnerships that support sustainability. He highlighted the opportunity to work with facilities such as Divine Mercy Aluor dispensary, which was described during the meeting as willing to meet piping costs to secure a steady supply.
Such willingness creates an opportunity for shared investment in water access. Any additional connections will also need to take account of the system’s capacity, particularly during periods of high demand.
Oduong’ drew attention to another successful project in Yimbo as a source of lessons that Onyinyore could explore. Committee members expressed openness to learning from that experience.
Sheila, a County Environment Officer, said a similar project in Yimbo had successfully adopted smart meters. The discussion introduced a possible approach for strengthening water management, although no decision or implementation timetable for Onyinyore was reported during the visit.
The exchange demonstrated the value of connecting community committees with practical experience from other projects. It also created space to discuss how the benefits of rehabilitation could be consolidated through improved management and technical support.
Success Reveals the Need for Greater Capacity
The project’s benefits are substantial in residents’ accounts, but its limits become most apparent during dry seasons and drought. Committee members said demand rises to a level that the available supply cannot adequately meet.
Water is also pumped to a nearby market to support hygiene needs. During drought, participants reported that the market does not receive supplies, showing how pressure on the system affects several users.
These shortages underline the importance of assessing the next phase of the investment. Rehabilitation has restored a valued service, while community feedback identifies the need to examine supply capacity and how water is distributed when demand peaks.
For donors and implementing partners, Onyinyore offers a useful account of both achievement and continuing need. The project has demonstrated community value and local commitment; further support can be informed by the specific constraints residents have identified.
Protecting the Foundations of Sustainability
Participants also raised concerns about equipment security, cooperation with the contractor and pressures on revenue collection. Caleb said the contractor had not always responded constructively to community requests, while participants alleged political interference that encouraged some residents not to pay for water.
These concerns were expressed during the meeting, and responses from the contractor and the MCA were not available for this report. They nevertheless identify issues that require follow-up if the project’s maintenance arrangements are to remain dependable.
Committee members also described tensions with some local water vendors, whom they said charge KSh 10 for 20 litres. The community project provides 60 litres for the same amount, offering users a lower price per litre.
At the same time, participants acknowledged that vendors help residents obtain water during shortages. Addressing those tensions will therefore require cooperation around a shared need for reliable access.
Oduong’ assured the committee that he would work with members towards addressing the challenges and ensuring the community benefits. Continued engagement between residents, project managers and County officers will be important in translating that assurance into practical improvements.
What Happens Next
Onyinyore’s rehabilitated borehole shows what locally led climate investment can achieve when infrastructure is matched with community responsibility. Residents report better access, older people have benefited, livestock receive water, and a dispensary has gained a steady supply.
The community’s decision to replace vandalised solar panels adds a particularly strong dimension to that success. It demonstrates an investment residents are willing to help sustain, even when unexpected setbacks arise.
The next opportunity is to build on those gains through stronger security, reliable maintenance arrangements and a clearer response to drought-related demand. For Onyinyore, climate resilience is already taking shape in the daily use of its waterpoint; continued support can help make those benefits more dependable when the community needs them most.
