Press Releases

BARINGO, Kenya, March 23, 2026: Marking World Water Day 2026, ChildFund has commissioned a new multi-technology water treatment plant in Baringo County, providing families in Kampi Ya Samaki with their first reliable source of safe drinking water.
For decades, residents have relied on untreated water from Lake Baringo, where naturally high fluoride levels exceed World Health Organization safety limits. This has led to widespread dental fluorosis and an increased risk of skeletal fluorosis, affecting generations of children and families.

The newly launched facility addresses this long-standing public health challenge by combining ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technologies to remove fluoride and other contaminants at source. The system is expected to benefit over 20,000 people through an expanded distribution network serving households, schools, and a local health facility.

Delivered through ChildFund’s long-standing partnership with DuPont Water Solutions, the plant incorporates donated DuPont™ IntegraTec™ ultrafiltration modules and DuPont™ FilmTec™ reverse osmosis elements, alongside technical expertise, to produce a consistent supply of safe drinking water.

The project was implemented in collaboration with the County Government of Baringo, the Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency, Davis & Shirtliff, Hand in Hand Eastern Africa, and the Central Rift Community Development Program. This partnership brings together public, private, and community actors to strengthen sustainability, local ownership, and alignment with long-term water planning priorities.

“Partnerships are central to delivering solutions at this scale,” said Erin Kennedy of ChildFund. “In Baringo, we are seeing how coordinated investment and shared expertise can turn a long-standing public health challenge into a practical, community-driven solution that will serve families for years to come.”

In addition to improving access to safe water, the project is expected to drive broader social and economic benefits, including better health outcomes, reduced medical costs, and improved school attendance, particularly for children.

“This project shows us that solutions exist. When we get the model right, they can be scaled to reach many more communities. It offers a clear blueprint for delivering safe water to underserved communities across Africa. Access to water should no longer be a barrier in the 21st century,” said Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director at ChildFund.

Beyond Kenya, ChildFund, DuPont, Davis & Shirtliff, and other partners are delivering scalable solutions to provide safe and reliable drinking water to communities in Uganda and Zambia. Since 2022, over 50,000 people have gained consistent access to clean and safe drinking water through these partnerships.

“This partnership shows what’s possible when advanced water treatment technologies are paired with deep technical expertise—and applied with purpose,” said Alex Lane, Regional Commercial Director for DuPont Water Solutions in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with ChildFund and to bring our water treatment expertise to projects that deliver lasting community benefit. Working side-by-side, we can design and deploy solutions that are robust, locally appropriate, and built to endure.”