Kenya rural water supply : programs, progress, prospects

Since 1970, the Government of Kenya has been involved in a program to bring water to all its population. Although the investment has been high, the results have been disappointing. The government is still committed to the long term goal of universal supply, but recognizes that competing demands may now require a review of the long term objectives for water development. The lessons learned from past efforts are important for AID as it assists water supply projects in other countries. Kenya's national rural water program differs from that in most other countries in the size of the project and method of supplying water. The typical Kenyan water system is large. The aim of most systems is to supply water to individual families through metered private connections; because Kenyan communities are dispersed, long distribution lines are used. These complex systems are impeded by problems of design, construction and maintenance, making them unreliable. Maintenance problems are mainly due to low government funding levels. The government discourages the use of communal facilities by locating them inconveniently. AID has provided funding to self-help systems through CARE-Kenya. Recommendations include: insuring adequate funding for operation of systems, selecting technology from the full range of options available, and involving the community in the process of providing supplies. System reliability should be a primary concern. Rural water projects require varying amounts of institutional support based on the technology used.