It is estimated that 26 million Kenyans cannot access clean water despite the existence of 91 water utilities. This is very disturbing. The Water Services Regulatory Board recently released its 9th Impact report and it reveals a lot. The report pegs access to water in urban areas at 65 percent whereas in rural areas it is 49 percent.
County Performance
Vihiga County is trailing last in terms of access to safe tap water. It is least covered in terms of water supply at 16 percent access. Laikipia County has the best access to water at 86 percent of the residents getting access to clean piped water. A total of 19 counties have only half of the population accessing water.
Some people out there may think that these are just numbers about safe tap water. The truth is, the numbers are revealing a sad story. It is a matter of life and death. We know that water is life. Failing to access it means that your life is endangered.
The report makes it clear that our 91 water utilities are only serving 20 million people through just 1.6 million water connections. It is estimated that to serve the 46 million people in Kenya, a total of 200,000 new connections must be made every year. Currently, only 14,000 new connections are made.
This is a clear indicator that there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
What next?
As patriotic Kenyans, let’s make sure that we pay promptly for the tapped water that we consume to make sure that other people are served as well. Finally, from our newsroom we urge all stakeholders to do their best in promoting water services delivery across the country.
