Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company (KSWC) is set to inject US$23mn into the improvement of water services in Ndola and the outlying areas of Luanshya and Masaiti
According to Kafubu managing director, Ian Banda, the financing was a grant from the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
“We are receiving a grant of US$23mn from JICA who are bringing in their own contractor in March this year and the contract is for laying pipelines for a 12 km stretch,” said Banda.
Some of the major challenges facing Kafubu Water include a dilapidated infrastructure, which is over 45 years old, and the collection of money from customers. The design of the water network was done a long time ago during the colonial era and does not meet the demands of the growing population while pipes also need to be replaced. This poses a strain on the company’s meagre financial resources and therefore affects service. In some places, facilities such as water valves are vandalised.
Kafubu Water has more than 48,000 individual connections in addition to government institutions like clinics, hospitals, prisons and police camps. Banda is optimistic that with such support and a further US$83mn expected from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), services provided by the water utility company will continue to improve.
