African water experts unite to cut water losses
The Kenya Water Institute (KEWI), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has launched the third phase of the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), bringing together water-sector professionals from 10 African countries to strengthen sustainable water management and tackle water losses.
The training, hosted at KEWI Headquarters in Nairobi, aims to equip participants with practical skills and knowledge in Non-Revenue Water (NRW) management while promoting regional cooperation in addressing challenges affecting water utilities across Africa.
Participants have been drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar-Tanzania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa and Malawi. The programme provides an opportunity for the countries to exchange experiences, examine their water and sanitation sector structures and identify approaches to improving water service delivery.
Through its NRW Management Centre of Excellence, KEWI is facilitating technical sessions designed to help participants understand the causes of water losses and develop practical solutions suited to their respective countries.
The training covers commercial loss management, billing analysis, customer metering, leakage detection, water meter testing and active pressure management. Participants are also being introduced to standardised monitoring tools, including Kobo Toolbox, to strengthen data collection and support informed decision-making.
Beyond technical interventions, the programme places emphasis on utility governance, policy development and regulatory frameworks. Participants will assess existing national NRW policies and develop country-specific action plans aimed at reducing physical and commercial water losses.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Water Secretary Eng. S.A.O. Alima urged participating countries to translate the knowledge gained into practical reforms that strengthen water management.
He emphasised that addressing NRW requires more than engineering solutions, calling for stronger policies, effective guidelines and regulatory measures to support sustainable water service delivery.
Representing JICA Expert Eng. Yasuo Kobayashi, JICA Kenya Representative John Gitau acknowledged KEWI’s contribution to capacity development across the participating countries. He underscored the importance of reducing water losses, noting that every litre of water saved represents an additional litre available for delivery to consumers.
KEWI Director and CEO Dr. Leiro Letangule welcomed the participants and encouraged them to take advantage of the programme to strengthen their technical expertise, share experiences and establish professional networks.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent water losses affecting utilities across Africa. Such losses can result from leaking distribution networks, inaccurate metering, billing inefficiencies and other operational challenges, reducing the amount of water available to consumers and affecting utility revenues.
By combining technical training with policy development and regional knowledge exchange, the programme seeks to strengthen the capacity of participating countries to address these challenges.
The collaboration between KEWI and JICA is expected to contribute to improved utility performance, stronger institutional capacity and more sustainable water management practices across Africa.
