Water projects prioritised to address Oshikoto shortages

The executive director and accounting officer of Vote 38 in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Teofelus Nghitila, accompanied by officials from the Directorate of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, paid a courtesy visit to Oshikoto governor Sacky Kathindi and acting chief regional officer Petrus Ndawedwa as part of ongoing efforts to address water shortages affecting communities in the region.

The engagement formed part of Nghitila’s official visit to the Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions from 23 to 26 June 2026.

Discussions focused on priority water infrastructure projects in Oshikoto, including the drilling and installation of new boreholes, rehabilitation and cleaning of existing boreholes, pipeline repairs, the installation of booster pumps, construction of earth dams, extraction of equipment from boreholes, well modernisation, the development of bulk water pipelines, and plans for a desalination plant aimed at improving access to potable water.

Akaonde village was identified as one of six critical hotspot areas requiring urgent intervention before the end of July 2026.

Kathindi reaffirmed the region’s commitment to providing the necessary quotations and cost estimates to support the planned projects.

An amount of N$6.4 million has been made available by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) for the implementation of the priority projects, which are expected to begin before the end of July.

The Traditional Authority has also committed to assisting with the drilling of boreholes to support affected communities.

The planned interventions are expected to strengthen water security and improve service delivery across the region.