One of Liberia’s leading Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) advocates, Timothy Kpeh, has lauded President Joseph Boakai for the launch of the Presidential Clean Cities Initiative (PCCI).
Kpeh described the move as a commitment from the highest level of government, something he said international partners can depend on to invest in the country’s WASH sector.
In an interview with ELBC in Sinkor on Thursday, September 17, 2026, the civil society actor said President Boakai’s move to initiate such a campaign will build the trust of international partners that the government is ready for the WASH Sector.
“These are commitments that promote investment in the sector,” Kpeh noted, adding, “if the office of the president can initiate such a program, that gives our international partners the opportunity, the trust that the government is ready.”
Kpeh said that as the “S” in the ARREST Agenda stands for sanitation, it is prudent that the government initiate a sustainability plan for the PCCI.
He called for the PCCI to be reflected in the national budget.
According to the Executive Mansion, the Presidential Clean Cities Initiative is the government’s intervention aimed at supporting urban sanitation, creating short-term employment opportunities for young Liberians, promoting environmental stewardship, and strengthening community participation in the maintenance of public spaces.
It says the PCCI, championed by President Boakai, is designed to complement the ongoing efforts of county and municipal authorities to keep cities and communities clean, safe, and environmentally healthy.
Phase One of the initiative will begin on October 1, 2026, and will be implemented across eight counties, covering 14 cities and one township.
As part of the initiative, 1,250 young people and 30 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) will be engaged in sanitation activities, environmental initiatives, and public awareness campaigns.
Meanwhile, Kpeh is proposing additional actions to enhance the improvement of the country’s WASH sector.
“For example, we’re hearing that the WASH Compact 2 has been endorsed by the president; that’s a great step as well in the right direction. What we want to see now is how that compact can finally be launched by the president so that our investment partners-the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the WaterAid, the UNICEF-can use that as a platform to support the sector.” Kpeh explained.
He also stressed the need for President Boakai to focus on the Open Defecation Free Roadmap, an instrument that he said promotes sanitation.
Kpeh said: “So we want to see the Open Defecation Free Roadmap policy is also endorsed and launched by the president in line with this process.”
He believed that when strong policies are introduced, the sustainability of initiatives such as the PCCI will take care of itself.