14 Million Kenyans Will Have No Water By 2015. According to a report by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), a significant portion of the Kenyan population will have no access to water within the next 2 years.
Despite the fact that the country received a KES 50 billion water and roads loan in mid 2012, the Pan-African lender believes that access to water will become a major concern in the years to come.
While the loan aims to provide over 3 million Kenyans with clean water and sanitation facilities, the future still looks dry. If the proposed project is a success, 11 million Kenyans will still be left smacking their dry lips in desperation. Places in parts of North Eastern Province among other drier parts of the country have often
The World Bank even notes that most of the country’s urban residents cannot afford piped water due to an expensive connection fee of about KES 8125. The fee, which is paid to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), includes a non-refundable commitment fee, a deposit for a water meter as well as piping and fitting expenses.
For many Kenyans raising the lump sum is not as simple as it appears to be. In fact, places like Kayole are full of residents who are forced to buy water at the standard fee of KES 50 per 20 litre container. Worse still is the fact that Kenya is only exploiting 15% of its fresh water resources.
Working Progress
Despite this so called ‘impending doom’, the government is actually working to rectify the situation. A KES 300 million loan from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) will be used to increase access to water in fast-growing cities and towns, including Nairobi and Kayole.
The project is part of a joint venture by the World Bank and the NCWSC which will allow low-income earners to take micro loans which will enable them to pay for installation in monthly installments. The initiative, dubbed Water and Sanitation Services Improvement Program (WASSIP), lets applicants pay off their debts together with their water bill. The program enables low-income households to come together to raise money for a metered stand pipe to be installed within their residential compound.
Over 1,500 households have benefited from WASSIP so far. NCWSC Managing Director, Phillip Gichuki said that the first phase of the initiative will have supplied over 2,200 households with water by February 2013.
The second phase will focus on installing sewer systems in towns and cities that need it the most. The program is currently extending its reach to over 300,000 low-income residents within Nairobi alone. The government plans to do the same in other parts of the country.