UYPETDL’s Executive Director, Timothy Kpeh Demands Domestic Resources for WASH Services!
- technicalunitedyou
- Sep 29, 2025
- 2 min read
Bopolu City, September 24, 2025 – The National Executive Director of the United Youth for Peace, Education, Transparency and Development in Liberia (UYPETDL), Mr. Timothy Kpeh, has urged the Government of Liberia to mobilize domestic resources to complement the efforts of development partners in delivering safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across the country.
Speaking at the official handover ceremonies of solar-powered water supply facilities under the Accelerated Community Development Programme (ACDP) in Bopolu City, Mr. Kpeh stressed that WASH is not a privilege but a constitutional right for every Liberian. However, he lamented that the sector continues to suffer from limited participation, weak accountability mechanisms, and inadequate prioritization in national policies and the budgeting process.
Quoting the 2024 Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report, Mr. Kpeh highlighted the dire realities:
Three out of every four Liberians do not have a basic toilet at home.
Six out of ten Liberians lack access to safe drinking water.
Half of schools and health facilities operate without basic water access, exposing children and patients to preventable diseases, indignity, and death.
He further cited the 2025 WaterAid Liberia Cost Benefit Analysis, which reveals that the country loses an estimated US$231 million annually due to inaction on WASH—equivalent to US$44 per person or 5.3% of Liberia’s GDP.
Mr. Kpeh’s call came in response to remarks by the UNDP, which warned that without the Government’s co-financing, the ACDP project could end by December 2025, leaving thousands of Liberians without safe water supply.
The ACDP, co-financed by the Government of Liberia and UNDP, is a flagship initiative to bridge infrastructure gaps between urban and rural communities and reduce multidimensional poverty. As part of the program, five solar-powered borehole systems, complete with elevated water towers and 21 water kiosks, were handed over to communities in Bong, Gbarpolu, and Rivercess Counties.
Mr. Kpeh emphasized that these facilities directly contribute to the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), particularly Strategic Policy 21, which seeks to ensure safe water and sanitation for underserved populations, and are fully aligned with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
“The Government must take urgent steps to fulfill its commitments and safeguard the health, dignity, and future of Liberians. Investing in WASH is not just a social good, it is an economic imperative,” Mr. Kpeh concluded.
The program brought together national and local government officials, community dwellers, women groups, youth groups, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, and international partners.
The WASH facilities were officially turned over by Senator Botoe Kanneh, the Superintendent of the county, the WASH Commission CEO, and the Deputy Managing Director of the LWSC, representing the Government of Liberia, while UNDP Deputy Country Representative and the Program Manager represented UNDP.
Mr. Kpeh promised to work with the National Legislature to ensure the Government of Liberia provides its financial contribution to the project during the 2026 National Budget preparation processes.
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