Dry taps, cartels and endless reshuffles: Inside Turkana’s frustrating water crisis
Peter Echapan, the new Turkana County Water Services Executive, was sworn in on November 2, 2026.
For a year and a half, residents of Methewan village in Lodwar Municipality have gone without piped water, forcing them to buy supplies daily.
In another part of Turkana, the water crisis became so desperate that 38 elderly residents from Lorumor village, Turkana North, undertook a journey of about 300 kilometres last December, walking along bush tracks to Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai’s residence in Lodwar, to plead for water for their households and livestock.
The community has no reliable water point, with residents depending on a proposed borehole at Nayanae Amoni and a pipeline connection to bring supplies to the village.
Almost a year after making the journey, their plight remains unresolved, according to area representative, Mr Abdifatah Kapua.
“The county government was to pipe the water from Nayanae Amoni borehole to Lorumor village using a 70-kilometre pipeline. Another option is 22 kilometres of pipeline through the rugged hills that separate the two areas,” he explained.
The experiences capture the scale of a water crisis that continues to affect both urban and remote communities in the largely arid county, despite repeated changes in the leadership of the department tasked with addressing it.
Governor Lomorukai has now acknowledged that frequent reshuffles of county executives and chief officers in the water department may have contributed to the persistent problem, admitting that changes in leadership have disrupted efforts to improve access.
“The problem that has been with water access across the county is that we have been doing repeated reshuffles. Sometimes, when a minister wants to put his house in order, we distract him with reshuffles. This, I agree, has contributed to the current problem,” he said on Monday as he ushered in yet another round of changes at the swearing-in of the new County Executive Committee Member for Water, Mr Peter Echapan, at the county government headquarters in Lodwar.
Five reshuffles and counting, but nothing to show for it.
At the time when the elders made the trip to the governor’s residence, Mr Lopeyok Akwalata was the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Water.
Mr Akwalata was appointed during a June 2025 reshuffle and served until August.
Before appointing him to head the water department, the governor had made at least five changes in his leadership. Ms Faith Aletia was his first Water Executive, followed by Mr Patrick Losike. During their respective tenures, the department also experienced repeated reshuffles of County Chief Officers.
On Monday, the governor said Mr Akwalata had left the department after his contract ended, accusing him of failing to focus on improving water access for residents in towns and rural areas.
But even as he acknowledged the disruption caused by the changes, the governor announced plans for another reshuffle, raising questions about whether the latest appointee will have enough time to implement the department’s priorities.
“In the coming days, I will do a clear reshuffle for both County Executive Committee Members and chief officers, where we will place them accordingly. They will be placed in the right ministries,” Mr Lomorukai said.
An overburdened water point at Lokitaung junction along Lodwar - Kakuma Road, which is used for livestock, domestic purposes and gold mining.
Mr Lomorukai challenged Mr Echapan to translate the administration’s promises into measurable results, prioritising the completion of ongoing projects within agreed timelines and standards.
“I expect you to provide strong leadership in translating these commitments into measurable results. Prioritise the completion of the ongoing water projects within agreed timelines and standards. Strengthen the operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure to provide reliable services over time. Improve planning, accountability and prudent use of resources within the department,” he told the new executive.
Kaaleng/Kaikor Ward Representative Abdifatah Kapua said elected leaders and senior county officials were also grappling with shortages, with some forced to rely on water-trucking services.
“At Methewan village within Lodwar Municipality, I buy water daily, and my neighbours, who include a parent of one of the county executives, also do not have water. The village has lacked tap water for the last one and a half years,” Mr Kapua said.
“Till now, nothing has been done,” he said.
Mr Kapua further alleged that cartels were artificially creating water shortages in major towns, including Kalokol, Kakuma and Lodwar, to profit from water-trucking services.
“If there are cartels affecting water supply in Lodwar, the new Water Executive must deal with them. We have seen them create prolonged water scarcity in Kalokol and Kakuma, and they are worsening the situation in Lodwar,” he said.
He questioned why Lodwar, despite having several boreholes, continued to experience shortages while water-trucking services expanded.
“Lodwar currently has the highest concentration of water-trucking services, yet there are many boreholes that need a sustainable pipeline system for every household to easily access water,” he said.
The allegations of cartels have also drawn the attention of the county assembly, with Speaker Charles Lokioto calling for investigations and greater accountability in the department.
Mr Lokioto said the assembly would continue exercising its oversight role to ensure funds allocated to the water department translated into tangible improvements for communities.
“Our clarion call to the new Water Executive is that we need positive change in the water situation in Turkana. How does Kakuma, where there are many development partners in the water sector, have insufficient water for both refugees and locals?” he asked.
He said allegations of cartels should not be dismissed and called for investigations, while urging staff in the department to work together towards addressing the shortages.
“The cartel issue should not be taken for granted. It should be investigated, and staff in the department should be united for a common cause of addressing water scarcity,” Mr Lokioto said.
For residents who have gone months without piped water, the test of the latest appointment will not be the promises made at the swearing-in ceremony, but whether water finally flows from their taps.
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