Safaricom, a leading telco company in Kenya, has forged a groundbreaking partnership with the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI) to bolster capacity development in the water sector, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 6 of ensuring clean water and sanitation for all.

In a move to support practical training, Safaricom will implement a cutting-edge Smart Water System at KEWI's campuses in Nairobi and Kitui.

This system will facilitate hands-on learning experiences for students while providing real-time data collection capabilities.

Furthermore, Safaricom will collaborate with KEWI to co-create and administer a comprehensive Smart Water Management curriculum.

Peter Ndegwa, the Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom, affirmed the company's unwavering dedication to becoming a purpose-led technology enterprise by 2025.

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"Safaricom is committed to its vision of being a purpose-led technology company by 2025. As part of this journey, we continue to partner with stakeholders to bring this vision to life," Ndegwa said.

"We recognise the importance of working with training institutions on relevant technology skills and onboarding the young generation in our Internet of Things (IoT) process as early as possible."

The concept of Smart Water Management harnesses the power of IoT technologies to optimize the extraction, production, distribution, and consumption of water.

Smart water meters play a pivotal role in this process by enabling real-time online data collection.

This functionality ensures efficient monitoring of utility consumption, detection of losses and leaks, accurate billing, enhanced revenue collection, improved operational efficiency, and ultimately, cost savings.

"We understand the place of IoT and as such we continue to embrace different technologies. Central to creating the Smart Meter and making it work is the IoT technology," Ndegwa emphasised

"It is at the heart of the new digital world and is already transforming business models and opening new products and services at a spectacular rate. Generated data can be used to boost efficiency, cut costs, save utility, and help your consumers organise their lives better."

As the government-mandated institution responsible for capacity development in the water sector, the Kenya Water Institute is ideally positioned to collaborate with Safaricom in designing the Smart Water Management curriculum.

The institute is also renowned for providing short courses tailored to water service providers.

Leiro Letangule, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Water Institute, described the collaboration between KEWI and Safaricom on the Smart Water Management curriculum as an innovative partnership focused on addressing the urgent challenge of water scarcity.

According to Letangule, this forward-thinking collaboration aims to raise awareness and implement practical solutions to tackle this issue head-on.

"The partnership between KEWI and Safaricom on the Smart Water Management curriculum is a forward-thinking collaboration that aims to tackle the pressing issue of water scarcity by fostering awareness and practical solutions. This reflects a shared vision of leveraging technology and education to drive sustainable water practices and conservation," Letangule said.

By combining the expertise of Safaricom in IoT technologies with the knowledge and experience of the Kenya Water Institute, this innovative partnership paves the way for a more efficient and sustainable water sector.

Through practical training and a tailored curriculum, the collaboration seeks to equip students with the necessary skills to address the challenges of water scarcity and ensure a brighter, water-secure future for Kenya.