Crisis looms in Kenya, as 16million lacks access to clean water

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

Kenya is lagging behind in delivering water to its 50 million people, with at least a third of the population lacking access to clean drinking water. This is despite the country making strides in infrastructure-related areas such as transport.

More than 16 million of the population relies on untreated and unsafe water sources, such as ponds, shallow wells, rivers and even lakes for drinking water.

Data collected by different organisations shows that the situation is particularly dire in rural areas and among the urban poor.

Kenya’s rural areas have traditionally been plagued with an inability to access safe water.

“In rural Kenya, the average cost of coping with an unreliable or distant water supply is approximately $38 per month. In comparison, the average water bill of a typical household in Nairobi that is connected to a piped system, is only $4.46 per month,” global water body, Water.org said in one of its 2020 statements.

“This comparison highlights the economic burdens that often fall more heavily on unconnected rural customers than on households with piped connections,” it added.

However, the problem is now widespread in urban slums despite good coverage, according to data. Water.org noted that in many areas, piped water connections did not produce a ‘reliable, constant’ flow of water.

Water affordability in rural and urban areas is a major issue, with both suffering the problem of lack of access, according to Wangai Ndirangu, head of capacity-building in sustainable water management network WaterCap Kenya.