12/06/2026
Traditional models of support for communities especially in the arid regions have in the past not factored the beyond-project phase and their sustainability.
At Oxfam Kenya, our approach to Operation and Maintenance (O&M) centers on locally led leadership, inclusive governance, and market-based models. We prioritize community empowerment, and systemic resilience against recurring droughts by embedding key principles into the O&M of community projects (such as solar-powered boreholes, water kiosks, and sanitation facilities). We invest in Locally Led Leadership & Capacity Building that shifts real power to the communities. Local Water User Committees (WUAs), for instance, are given ownership and trained in both technical skills and financial management of their projects. We also embrace Market-Based O&M Models by moving beyond traditional volunteer systems, to public-private partnerships and commercial models that deliver sustainable infrastructures. For example, we have recently partnered with operators like Davis & Shirtliff to rehabilitate and solarize water power systems in strategic areas such as Moruese and Kakamera villages in Turkana County, reducing community reliance on expensive diesel-dependent water pump that breaks down during fuel shortages. This investment promotes resilience and climate adaptability for communities who are constantly on the frontline of drought and other climate crises.
We equally engender citizen-led accountability principle that guarantees mutual accountability that ensures that Water User Associations report to the community, while the local government (such as County Water Boards) fulfill their duty of supporting major infrastructural repairs.
While disaster and humanitarian response remains our core duty, Oxfam continues to champion the transition from emergency relief to long-term water resilience.
