APPLICATION OF GIS TECHNOLOGY IN EVALUATION OF MAKUENI COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN ENHANCING ACCESS TO WATER TO RESIDENTS OF MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

GIS is a computer-based system for capturing, storing, analyzing and displaying spatial data thus allowing the visualizations of different kinds of information like patterns and relationships of features on the earth’s surface. One such application is the use of GIS in monitoring water resources and availability and the extent of water scarcity through the analysis of distances that locals from given regions have to travel in order to access this precious commodity. Water scarcity is prevalent in the Arid and Semi-Arid regions of Kenya, for example, the Makueni County, of Ukambani region. This persistent water problem affects many livelihoods and deny people the opportunity for sustained economic and social progress. Previous effort by past government administrations have not achieved much; there was however, greater hopes with the coming of the devolved systems of governments through the new constitution promulgated in 2010, it was believed that service delivery and access to critical resources like water would increase. This study sought to explain how this can be done as well as attempting to evaluate the actual contribution of Makueni county government in increasing water supply to the community. The study made use of global positioning system GPS in locating water supply point in Makueni county and applying geographic information system GIS in computing distances between water supply points in Makueni County, and overlaying this on the demographic maps of the said counties from which the analysis of the distances can be done. The study found that there were more boreholes established in Makueni between 2013 and 2016 than those established in the area between 1940 and 2013. This was interpreted to mean that in the four years of devolution, the county of Makueni had contributed to enhancement of access to water than what had been done by the colonial government and independent between 1940 and 2012.