Turkana unveils water quality laboratory

The Turkana county government has launch of a new water quality laboratory that is expected to improve on water safety, environmental protection, and public health.

This new facility that was unveiled as part of the 2025 World Water Day celebrations, will serve the huge county and be of direct benefit even to regional neighbors. The county invested Ksh 9.9 million over four years (2019–2023) to construct the lab, with an additional Ksh 7.1 million provided by United National Environment Programme (UNEP), the Government of Israel, and other development partners. The funds covered high-tech equipment, reagents, and capacity building of critical staff in collaboration with the Water Resources Authority (WRA).

The absence of a dedicated lab also led to inconsistent water quality assessments, hampering the efforts of public health officials. The newly launched facility can conduct 13 different critical water quality tests, delivering results equivalent to those from ISO-certified laboratories. The facility will also ease pressure on the existing WRA-operated water quality laboratories across the country.

It is expected that the first beneficiaries of this laboratory will be the water service providers. The services offered by the lab form part of the regulatory requirements without having to travel to distant labs. Beyond immediate testing needs, the facility will support data-driven decision-making for long-term water safety solutions.

For local communities, especially pastoralists, the facility is a long-awaited relief. Turkana has previously reported high numbers of livestock deaths linked to unsafe water sources, underscoring the urgent need for localized testing services.

The lab is expected to benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including water service companies, public health authorities, and environmental agencies in addition to playing a crucial role in monitoring industrial effluents to prevent pollution from wastewater discharge.

The services offered by the lab form part of the regulatory requirements without having to travel to distant labs. Before the lab’s establishment, Turkana wholly relied on distant facilities for water quality testing, a process that caused delays and raised concerns over sample integrity during transportation.