Kenya loses more than Ksh11 billion annually through water leakages, illegal connections, faulty metering and billing inefficiencies, raising pressure on water agencies to improve accountability and reduce wastage.
Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa said the country loses approximately 242 million cubic metres of water annually out of 504 million cubic metres produced, translating to between 44 and 48 per cent of total production.
The losses, classified as non-revenue water, comprise treated water that does not reach consumers or is supplied without being billed.
Speaking during the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA) annual stakeholders’ meeting in Kisumu on Friday, Mugaa directed water agencies to intensify efforts to address the losses, warning against complacency in the sector.
The government has established a specialised Water Police Unit to help water agencies tackle illegal connections, water theft and vandalism of public infrastructure.
Mugaa said officers had been deployed to water agencies’ headquarters, with LVSWWDA allocated 10 officers under the initiative.
He also raised concern over the destruction and theft of publicly funded infrastructure, including valves, manhole covers and treatment plant components, noting that vandalism increases maintenance costs and undermines investments.
The CS challenged water service providers to pursue more ambitious reductions in non-revenue water rather than celebrate marginal improvements.
“How are we celebrating moving from 62 to 52?” he posed, questioning the industry’s acceptance of 25 per cent as a benchmark while citing Japan, where non-revenue water levels are reportedly below seven per cent.
Mugaa said reforms introduced through the 2024 amendment to the Water Act had expanded the mandate of Water Works Development Agencies to include bulk water supply, while opening opportunities for private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships.
During the meeting, LVSWWDA received a bulk water service provision licence from the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), authorising it to undertake additional responsibilities in bulk water supply.
The CS said the new mandate would require the agency to maintain consistent water quality, adequate supply, timely delivery and proper infrastructure maintenance.
He urged the agency to strengthen joint metering and ensure timely payments to support its financial and operational sustainability.
Mugaa acknowledged improvements in the agency’s eight-county jurisdiction, where water connectivity had risen from 57 to 62 per cent, while sewerage coverage increased from 27 to 35 per cent.
However, he challenged the agency to improve access further as millions of Kenyans continue to lack basic water and sanitation services.
LVSWWDA Chief Executive Officer Jacklyn Kemunto said the agency was seeking to mobilise Ksh48.2 billion over its 2023–2027 strategic plan to finance water supply, sanitation, sewerage development, infrastructure maintenance and environmental conservation.
She cited inadequate financing, governance challenges among water service providers, climate variability and vandalism as major obstacles to service delivery.
Kemunto called for stronger cooperation between national and county governments, particularly in addressing management challenges affecting water service providers and protecting existing infrastructure.
Kericho Governor Erick Mutai, representing governors from the region, pledged greater cooperation between county governments and water agencies, saying both levels of government had a shared responsibility to improve access to 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.
Mutai also acknowledged that delayed payments by county governments for water supplied to public institutions, including hospitals, had contributed to financial difficulties among some water service providers.
LVSWWDA serves Kisumu, Siaya, Kericho, Homa Bay, Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet and Migori counties.
