Nairobi — Safaricom has partnered with the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI) to build capacity in the water sector, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for all.
Through the partnership, Safaricom will deploy a smart water system at KEWI's Nairobi and Kitui campuses to facilitate practical training.
It will additionally co-create and run a smart water management curriculum for students at the institution.
"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," Safaricom CEO Peter 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," Ndegwa added.
Smart water management entails leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to manage the abstraction, production, distribution, and consumption of water.
The smart water meters provide an effective way of collecting data online in real-time.
They ensure effective monitoring of utility consumption data thereby detecting loss & leakage, ensuring accurate billing, enhancing revenue collection, improving operational efficiency, and as a result saving costs.
"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," the CEO said.
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"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."
KEWI is the body mandated by the government to carry out capacity development for the water sector.
The institute also provides short courses for water service providers and as such KEWI is best placed to partner with Safaricom to tailor the Smart Water Management curriculum.
"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," KEWI CEO Leiro Letangule.
"This reflects a shared vision of leveraging technology and education to drive sustainable water practices and conservation."
