Technical Support to the Water Services Trust Fund 2010 – 2012

The purpose of Finnish support to Water Services Trust Fund (WSTF) in Kenya is to enable WSTF to financially assist the poorest and most disadvantaged rural communities to address at the local level a multitude of activities concerning water resources management and water and sanitation. In collaboration with the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and Water Service Boards (WSBs) the WSTF supported communities and grass root level organizations to address their priority needs in an environmentally sustainable manner. The WSTF was established as a Corporate body in 2004 following Kenya’s Water Sector Reform (Water Sector Act 2002). Its mandate is to mobilize resources and channel financial assistance towards improvement of water supply and sanitation services to areas of Kenya that are under or un-served with emphasis on the poor. In 2005-2007 the WSTF developed in collaboration with WSBs a demand based Community Project Cycle (CPC) for rural water supply. In addition, WSTF implements Urban Project Cycle (UPC) for urban water & sanitation and Water Resources User Association Development Cycle (WDC) for water resources projects. Finland supported WSTF with a grant of EUR 4.55 million an investment package totaling EUR 5.87 million in 2010-2013. Community contribution is 15 % of the direct investments. The work was done in accordance to cross-cutting objectives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, including gender, equality/human rights and environmental objectives, including climate change considerations.