An article on water security in Kenya, written by Dr Nic Cheeseman and Johanna Koehler of Oxford University, has been published in the Daily Nation, the most-read daily newspaper in Kenya.
The authors draw on our recently published Country Diagnostic Report for Kenya and identify three main causes of water insecurity: lack of coordination in development activities, climate shocks and droughts, and persistent poverty and inequality.
In summary:
- In many parts of East Africa, poor people have found it increasingly difficult to access water, despite the stated commitment of governments to improve water security.
- Water security has reduced in many parts of East Africa over the past 40 years. A combination of population growth and low levels of investment in slum areas means that this has hit the urban poor particularly hard.
- Now that key water and sanitation functions have been devolved to the county level, governors have an opportunity to use their influence to make increasing access to water a priority.
