Kenya has been asked to find alternative funding for the water sector after development partners said their grants are set to dwindle.
Speaking during Kenya Water Week, the partners said the country has been upgraded from a poor to middle income country and as such, grants will “progressively dwindle”.
“By 2021, we do not have official development aid for the country. But we will look for other relationships where we will be playing other roles in the sector,” Noeke Ruiter, the first secretary from the Kingdom of The Netherlands, said at the KICC.
The World Bank last year confirmed Kenya’s lower middle income status, following estimation of the gross national income per capita.
Countries in this category have a GNI per capita of more than Sh99,024, but less than Sh390,513.
Kenya’s GNI per capita income is about Sh127,215.
Head of European Union delegation Erik Habers said the EU and its members states will still provide support to Kenya and the water sector for a few years to complement government efforts.
Water PS Fred Segor said Kenya will have to reposition herself as water is a social and developmental commodity.
“We are moving from aid to trade as grants and aid are dwindling,” he said.
