- Kenya is also grappling with insufficient data on groundwater aquifer yields, recharge sources and aquifer responses to diverse climatic conditions.
- Kenya’s National Water Coverage is 58 per cent while sanitation coverage is 27 per cent.
Kenya’s solution to equitable access to clean water and sanitation lies in the adoption of geographical information science and earth observation technologies, experts have said.
Kenya is considered a water-scarce country, with a per capita water availability of less than 600 cubic metres, below the global threshold of 1,000 cubic metres per capita.
Speaking at the Kenya Water Institute during a two-day symposium on geographical information science and earth observation, experts said Kenya must adopt emerging technologies to map out its water resources.
“As defined in the Constitution of Kenya Article 43, it is our duty to ensure there is the universal provision of safe and clean water in adequate quantities and accessibility to sanitation for all. Further Sustainable Development Goal No 6 guides on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” Water CS Sicily Kariuki said.
Kenya’s national water coverage is 58 per cent while sanitation coverage is 27 per cent.
Kariuki, in a speech read on her behalf by Water CAS Andrew Tuimur, said her ministry is working towards increasing the coverage.
She said her ministry’s strategic objective is to increase both water and sanitation coverage to 80 per cent (37.6 million Kenyans) nationally, and sanitation from 25 per cent to 40 per cent (18.8 million people) by 2022.
The CS said Kenya’s non-revenue level stands at 43 per cent.
The non-revenue water is water that has been produced and lost before it reaches the consumer.
Kariuki said her ministry is keen to increase per capita freshwater endowment from 527 cubic metres to 700 cubic metres through management, protection and conservation of water resources by 2022; increase water storage per capita from 4.5 cubic metres in 2017 to 14 cubic metres by the year 2022.
She said the ministry is also keen to enhance water sector financing to support programmes and projects.
Kariuki said the statistics she highlighted and the road map to achieving the universal provision of water and sanitation services in the country, largely defines the strategic interventions required by the country.
The CS said real-time data is critical in the journey to achieve universal water and sanitation provision by 2030.
“If we are to become competitive enough, attract investors to journey with us, we must be strategic as a country; this may well be defined by our adoption and investments to the emerging technological trends,” she said.
Kariuki said the country must have the answers on how well it can define its water, sanitation distribution networks; how the infrastructure investment network is distributed, and water utilities.
According to Sustainable Development Goals 6.1, countries must achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030.
SGDs 6.2 say countries must achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation by 2030.
The United Nations has projected that the current rate of drought and environmental stress placed on water could see many go without the commodity by 2050.
The global body estimates that one in four people will have a scarcity of clean water access going by the current rates.
Reports show that 21 million Kenyans have no access to safe and clean water and sanitation, estimated to cost the country Sh27 billion annually.
Kenya has a number of yielding groundwater aquifers. There are 616 million cubic metres of groundwater.
Limited knowledge on groundwater occurrence, its flow, recharge and abstractable amounts remains a challenge.
Kenya is also grappling with insufficient data on groundwater aquifer yields, recharge sources and aquifer responses to diverse climatic conditions.
Water scarcity forces women and children to spend up to one-third of their day looking for clean water.
This has left many Kenyans susceptible to water-borne diseases.
Vihiga Governor Dr Wilber Ottichilo said technology has helped his county to advance in all sectors.
Ottichilo who is an expert in geographical information science and earth observation said his county has mapped out key water sources before embarking on rehabilitation.
“We need to adopt technology or perish,” he warned.
He said whoever has data has the most valuable commodity that can be used for decision making.
-Edited by SKanyara