Thirsty nation: Why Kenya must wake up to its water crisis

In a cruel twist of irony, Kenya is currently battling devastating floods but has experienced several historic droughts in the last decade.

The heavy April rains have claimed lives, displaced thousands, and submerged neighbourhoods; from Nairobi’s Mathare and Mukuru slums to parts of Kisumu County.

Rivers have burst their banks, roads have turned into torrents, and schools have been forced to close. Yet, despite all this water, millions of Kenyans still lack reliable access to clean, safe drinking water.

This paradox of deadly excess in one moment and desperate scarcity in the next captures the deep dysfunction in Kenya’s water management.

Floods have overwhelmed drainage systems, exposed gaps in urban planning, and contaminated already fragile rural water sources.

The rains have made water temporarily abundant, but not safe or usable.

For most Kenyans, especially in marginalized communities, the fundamental challenge remains unchanged: accessing water that is clean, consistent, and close to home.

Water is the essence of life. It’s no surprise that when scientists search the cosmos for signs of life, they begin by looking for water.

Here on Earth, and especially in Kenya, that search feels far more urgent.

Every day, millions of Kenyans, especially women and children, wake up not to the sound of running taps but to the crunch of jerricans as they begin long treks for water.

According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), 80% of households in Kenya have access to improved drinking water sources such as piped water, boreholes, protected springs, and bottled water.

However, this national figure masks deep regional inequalities in access.

In rural areas, only 56% of households use improved water sources, with counties like Turkana and Kitui lagging far behind.

These regional gaps underscore the urgent need for targeted investments in water infrastructure to ensure that no community is left behind.

Nalangu Ewoi, a 35-year-old mother in Turkana, begins her six-hour walk before sunrise. “If I don’t go early, the water point will be dry,” she says, balancing a 20-liter jerrican on her head.

A 2024 report by Sauti za Wananchi, a citizen survey initiative by Twaweza East Africa, found that while 82% of households nationwide reported taking less than 30 minutes to fetch water, nearly 26% of rural households spent more than an hour.

Even those who live closer to water aren’t necessarily better off.

The same survey showed that only 33% of households have piped water within their compound—meaning the majority still leave home daily to access clean water.

The water crisis is hurting Kenya’s children, especially girls, in more ways than one.

A joint UNICEF–Ministry of Education study found that 34% of primary schools in the country lack access to safe drinking water.

The 2022 Basic Education Statistical Booklet by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics confirms that only 69% of public primary schools have water points within school grounds.

Kamene, a 14-year-old pupil from Kitui, often misses class to help her mother fetch water. “When I return, I’m too tired to learn,” she says quietly.

Teachers say students routinely report to school late or dehydrated, and girls sometimes miss entire school days because they are expected to help at home.

Uwezo Kenya Learning Assessment Survey found that children in schools with inadequate WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities performed significantly worse in literacy and numeracy tests.

The health implications are equally alarming. Without clean water, handwashing becomes a luxury, not a habit.

This increases vulnerability to diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea—diseases that still claim lives in some Kenyan counties.

The 2022 KDHS shows that only 19% of households in Kenya have water available on the premises, meaning the vast majority must walk to a water point every day, often risking exposure to dirty water, physical harm, or both.

In addition, families that rely on seasonal rivers or shared boreholes face another harsh reality: when the water runs out, there's nowhere else to turn.

Even in urban areas, the illusion of abundance is fading. Nairobi, with its bustling estates and towering apartments, it still experiences erratic supply and rationing.

“We store water in bathtubs and buckets because you never know when it will be cut,” says James Mwangi, a resident of Karen.

The Water Services Regulatory Board blames aging infrastructure and population growth that has outpaced water systems.

In informal settlements like Kibera and Mukuru, the situation is worse. Residents buy water from vendors at exorbitant prices or share communal taps with long queues and questionable hygiene.

Kenya’s economy, already battling climate shocks and inflation, is quietly bleeding from this crisis.

A 2023 World Bank report estimates that Kenya loses $324 million (Ksh27 billion) every year due to water-related challenges such as poor sanitation and disease.

In Murang’a, farmer Joseph Kamau watches his parched fields with despair. “My entire maize crop failed,” he says. “We depend on rain, but the skies were silent this year.”

With 83% of farms in Kenya being rain-fed, erratic rainfall and prolonged droughts, like the devastating 2022 dry spell, are making agriculture increasingly untenable.

Fatuma, who runs a small restaurant in Eastleigh, Nairobi, says water shortages cut her revenue by half. “Without water, I can’t cook or clean. I have to close early or spend more on buying water,” she explains.

One of the biggest barriers to progress is not nature—it’s governance.

A 2023 estimate by Transparency International Kenya suggests that KSh 4.5 billion is lost annually to corruption in water projects. Inflated tenders, ghost boreholes, and poor maintenance plague the sector.

Experts say better oversight and citizen involvement are essential. “We need to take water management out of boardrooms and into communities,” says Dr. Samuel Muthui, a hydrologist expert.

Despite the challenges, there are success stories. Nyeri County, through innovative public-private partnerships, has achieved 72% water coverage. “Community involvement is key,” says Pauline Mwangi, Director of Nyeri Water Services. “When residents co-own the process, sustainability follows.”

Kitui and Makueni counties have seen improvements through rainwater harvesting projects, supported by citizens, local governments and NGOs. These models could be replicated in other arid and semi-arid regions.

A 2024 Sauti za Wananchi poll showed that a majority of Kenyans—67%—rank water among their top three development priorities, surpassing even roads or electricity in some rural areas.

Water is not just a utility. It is the foundation of health, education, food security, and dignity.

Yet it remains underfunded and under-prioritized in national development plans while it appears in Vision 2030, progress remains slow and uneven.

As climate change intensifies, the risks will only grow. Flash floods destroy infrastructure, while droughts parch farmlands and wells.

Without urgent and coordinated investment in climate-resilient water systems, Kenya’s path to middle-income status remains deeply compromised.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 enshrines access to clean and safe water as a fundamental human right, yet many still struggle to access this basic necessity. The time has come to fulfill this promise.

The Kenya Kwanza administration has made strides to address poverty and spur development, but these goals remain unattainable if millions of Kenyans continue to lack access to safe, clean water.

Tackling the water crisis is not just essential for economic growth but is also a pressing moral and human rights issue.

Declaring water access a national emergency would signal the urgency required to resolve the crisis.

With sustained political commitment, adequate funding, and active community participation, Kenya can make significant progress toward achieving universal access to water by 2030.

However, the reality for many Kenyans is a constant struggle for a basic human need, and the change they hope for must come much sooner than later.