Dadaab Water and Sanitation Company (DAWASCO) was incorporated on 29th February 2020 and came into full operation on 1st December 2023.It is one of the Service Providers regulated by WASREB under a Service Provision Agreement to provide water and sanitation services in Dadaab Municipality.
It’s head offices are located in Dadaab next to Dadaab general hospital while the branch office is Next to Dadaab law court.
The mandate of DAWASCO is to provide adequate quality water and proper sanitation services to our customers within Dadaab Municipality in the most efficient and cost effective way.
The Dadaab Water & Sanitation Company is a water service provider charged with the provision of the water and sewerage services in Dadaab, those services were previously offered by the Water users association which was a challenge to operate as many of the locals can attest.
DAWASCO’s formation arose from the enactment of the Water Act 2016, which created new institution to manage water resources in the county and in the country. Under the new Act, water service providers will be licensed by water service boards to retail water in their jurisdictions. DAWASCO is one such water service provider, which has been appointed by the County Government of Garissa to provide water and sanitation services to the residents of Dadaab Municipality and its environs.
The company is engaged purely in providing water and sanitation services to the residents of Dadaab Municipality.
DAWASCO has operational autonomy to enable run efficiently and without interference. The Company will have an independent Board of 5 Directors constituting of professional individuals drawn from private sector organizations, professional bodies, the NGO sector and the greater County of Garissa.
To enhance DAWASCO’s efficiency, the senior management team of the Company will be recruited competitively from the job market. Both Directors and senior management staff will bound by code of ethics that assures suppliers of due diligence in keeping with the Company’s goal of strengthening its corporate water governance.
Since the Company is run on commercial principles, staff and management will be integrated into a competitive and productive environment that is customer-focused and results-oriented.
Currently, of the population residents of Dadaab Municipality only 40 per cent have direct access to piped water. The rest obtain water from kiosks, vendors and illegal connections of the existing customers, about 40 per cent receive water on the 24-hour basis.
DAWASCO is committed to ensuring that all customers receive water regularly and efficiently and that the water reaching the customers is of highest quality. The Company aspires to be a role model among other water companies established across the country.
Organisation Structure
Management Structure
The Corporate Management Team will be headed by the Managing Director who reports to the Board of Directors, implements Strategies and approved Plans, and carries out daily running of the business. The Company’s organizational structure will be having Six main Departments. These are the Commercial and Finance Services Department, Technical Services Department, Human Resources and Administration Department, Information & Communication Technology Department, Internal Audit Department, and Procurement Department. The Six Departmental heads form the Corporate Management Team (CMT). The Three levels of the Company Structure are as follows: –
• Shareholders
• Board of Directors
• Corporate Management Team
Composition of the Board of Directors
DAWASCO will have a Board of Directors consisting of Five (5) members headed by a Non- non-executive chairman.
The Directors will be responsible for Strategic Direction, Policymaking, Co-ordination and Control of Company functions. The composition of the Board will be as follows: –
• Three (3) Members/Professionals from the Executive Arm of the Governor’s Office/The County Government of Garissa
• One (1) Member Representing the Resident Organization/Farmers
• Managing Director Representing the Company
Stake Holders/Partners
1. County Government of Garissa
2. Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC)
3. Government of Kenya, Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
4. Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB)
5. All Development Partners
6. Water Resources Authority (WRA)
7. Other water Service Providers I.e. Garissa Water and Sanitation Company (GAWASCO)
8. Water Service Providers Association (WASPA)
9. Suppliers
10. Dadaab Municipality