Government moves to stem over Sh11B yearly water losses

The water sector in Kenya loses over Sh11 billion annually through physical leaks or spillage, illegal connections, faulty or unmetered connections, and billing inefficiencies, Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eng. Eric Muriithi Mugaa has revealed.

CS Mugaa said about 242 million cubic metres out of 504 million cubic metres of total water produced in the country annually is lost, accounting for between 44 to 48 per cent of the total water produced. This water component is known as non-revenue water and refers to treated water that is lost before reaching consumers or getting billed.

Consequently, the CS directed all water agencies to move with speed and stem this lose. He said the government had established a specialised Water Police Unit to help water agencies and service providers address illegal connections and protect public water infrastructure.

The police officers, deployed at the headquarters of water agencies, are expected to support efforts to curb water theft and strengthen enforcement. Mugaa revealed that Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA) had been allocated 10 officers under the initiative and urged the agency to ensure they were effectively utilised.

Speaking during the water agency’s Annual Stakeholders meeting in Kisumu on Friday, Eng. Mugaa said the Government was pursuing policy and institutional reforms to bridge financing gaps, improve accountability and increase access to safe water.

The CS observed that some infrastructure components installed using taxpayers’ money get vandalised shortly after construction, with stolen materials finding their way onto the black market.

He further called for stronger enforcement against vandalism, warning that the destruction and theft of water infrastructure, including valves, manhole covers and treatment plant components, undermined public investments and increased maintenance costs.

According to data from the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Kenya is classified as a water-scarce country, with renewable freshwater supplies dropping below 1,000 cubic meters per capita every year.

Total available renewable water resources are estimated at roughly 22.5 billion cubic meters per year. Out of a population of approximately 56 million people, about 19 to 20 million Kenyans lack access to basic drinking water, and roughly 33 to 36 million lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

The CS urged water agencies to consider practical infrastructure designs that would make installations more visible, accessible for maintenance and less vulnerable to vandalism.

Mugaa challenged water service providers to move beyond celebrating marginal improvements and work towards significantly reducing water losses.

“How are we celebrating moving from 62 to 52?” he posed, challenging stakeholders to adopt more ambitious measures to improve efficiency. He questioned the justification for accepting 25 per cent as an industry benchmark, citing international examples such as Japan, where non-revenue water levels are reportedly below seven per cent.

Mugaa said the government had introduced key reforms through the 2024 amendment to the Water Act, which expanded the mandate of Water Works Development Agencies to include bulk water service provision.

He explained that the amendment also opened opportunities for private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), providing an alternative financing avenue for capital-intensive water projects.

Access to reliable water and adequate sanitation remains a major development challenge across the Lake Victoria South Basin, where increasing demand, inadequate infrastructure, financial constraints and water losses continue to undermine service delivery.

Despite ongoing investments in water infrastructure, millions of residents across the region still face challenges accessing reliable water and sewerage services, highlighting the need for increased investment, stronger institutional accountability and collaboration between national and county governments.

During the forum, Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency received a bulk water service provision licence from the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), allowing it to take up additional responsibilities in bulk water supply.

The CS said the new mandate would require the agency to ensure consistent water quality, adequate quantities, timely delivery and proper operation and maintenance of the infrastructure.

He also underscored the importance of joint metering and timely payments, noting that the agency would now have to strengthen its financial and operational management as a bulk water provider.

Mugaa highlighted several infrastructure development programmes expected to benefit the Lake Victoria South region which comprises Kisumu, Siaya, Kericho, Homa Bay, Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet and Migori counties.

These initiatives include the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme and the National Urban Water and Sanitation Programme, under which the region is expected to benefit from new projects, rehabilitation works and last-mile water connectivity.

He said the Government was also implementing the Groundwater Resilience Programme, backed by an investment of more than Sh13.5 billion, targeting five arid and semi-arid counties through borehole rehabilitation, exploratory drilling and development of groundwater schemes.

The Cabinet Secretary further highlighted ongoing water and sanitation investments supported by development partners, including the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency.

He noted that sanitation investments in the Lake Victoria Basin were particularly important in protecting Lake Victoria from pollution, especially the discharge of untreated waste into the water body.

Mugaa also acknowledged improvements made by the Lake Victoria South Water agency, revealing that water connectivity across its eight-county jurisdiction had increased from 57 per cent to 62 per cent.

He said sewerage connectivity had also risen from 27 per cent to 35 per cent, bringing the region closer to the national average of approximately 41 per cent.

However, he challenged the agency to sustain the momentum and move beyond the national averages to ensure more households benefit from reliable water and sanitation services.

He emphasised that achieving sustainable water security required collective responsibility involving the national government, county governments, water agencies, service providers and the private sector.

LVSWWDA Chief Executive Officer, Jacklyn Kemunto said the stakeholders’ forum was convened to evaluate achievements made since the launch of the 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, identify implementation challenges and obtain feedback from partners.

Held under the theme; Water Security, Sanitation and Shared Inclusivity, the meeting brought together county leaders, national government representatives, development partners, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders in the water sector.

Kemunto said the agency had made progress towards realising its strategic objectives but continued to face challenges such as inadequate financing, governance challenges among Water Service Providers (WSPs), climate variability and vandalism of water infrastructure.

She announced that the agency was targeting to mobilise Sh48.2 billion over the five-year strategic period to finance water supply and conservation infrastructure, sanitation and sewerage development, financial resource mobilisation, infrastructure maintenance, institutional capacity development and environmental sustainability.

The CEO noted that the agency was pursuing funding opportunities through Government programmes, including the National Urban Water and Sanitation Programme and Kenya Towns Phase II, alongside support from development partners.

She also called for the Ministry’s intervention in addressing governance challenges affecting some Water Service Providers, noting that improved management would help reduce non-revenue water and improve service delivery.

Kemunto said sanitation coverage remained a concern, with several sewerage projects still at the conceptual or design stages.

She explained that the agency was increasingly incorporating sanitation components into water project designs to ensure that improved water supply goes hand in hand with proper waste management.

The CEO further cited droughts, floods, environmental degradation and vandalism as threats to sustainable water service delivery.

Kemunto urged county governments and water service providers to strengthen cooperation and protect existing infrastructure from destruction.

Kericho Governor Dr. Erick Mutai, who represented other governors from the region, pledged stronger collaboration between county governments and water development agencies, saying cooperation was essential in ensuring that residents received reliable water services.

Dr. Mutai said county governments should view water agencies as development partners rather than competitors, adding that their shared responsibility was to improve access to clean and safe water.

“We must look at these water bodies not as competitors, but as partners in a greater cause of providing water to our people,” he said.

The governor acknowledged that some water service providers had previously experienced financial difficulties partly because county governments failed to honour payments for water supplied to public institutions, including hospitals.

He said governors had recognised the need to fulfil their financial obligations to water utilities to improve their financial stability and ensure continuity of services.

Dr. Mutai committed county governments to supporting the agency through shared planning, cooperation and improved management of water resources.

The forum provided a platform for stakeholders to review the agency’s performance, discuss emerging challenges and identify practical interventions towards sustainable water supply and sanitation across the Lake Victoria South Basin.

Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency is one of nine Water Works Development Agencies established under the Water Act, 2016, with a mandate to develop, rehabilitate, manage and operate national public waterworks.

By Mabel Keya- Shikuku and Rose Anyul