Kenya bets on Water Police Unit to tame cartels

Kenya, with over 80 percent of its territory consisting of semi-arid land and an annual water supply of less than 1000 m3, ranks among the world’s most water-stressed countries. 

Studies have shown that Kenya has experienced a decrease in rainfall since the 1960s, with projections indicating a potential reduction in excess of 1,000 ml per year by 2029. 

While an estimated 59 percent of Kenya's population has access to clean water, residents of rural areas often have to travel up to 8 miles to access water points that are frequently contaminated and unsuitable for human consumption. 

Kenya's water woes

The situation is further exacerbated by an unprecedented population growth, extensive water pollution, climate change, poor water resources management and urbanisation. 

All the while, human activities human activities such as vandalism, theft, targeted attacks on water facilities, and bribery of government officials continue to limit Kenyans' access to potable water. Additionally, water cartels operate sophisticated networks that illegally connect water to people's homes for a fee, further undermining efforts to ensure reliable water supply and bill payments.

According to the government, these activities cost the state an average of USD 80 million every year.

The Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb), one of the government bodies mandated to oversee the implementation of water and sewerage services, reported that in 2020, 47 percent of the water put into the distribution system was not billed, indicating a 4 percent increase from the previous year.

"Water has become a lucrative commodity due to the growing demand and its scarcity. While government is trying its best to ensure access to clean water for all, the interests of other players have complicated this resolve," Arthur Muga, a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) consultant told FairPlanet. "Private companies and water vendors that are in the business of selling water charge exorbitantly while cashing in on the desperation of citizens." 

Jemimah Omollo, an environmental activist at the Kenya Water Institute, seconds Muga: "It has been said that the next world war will be about water. And we have seen this starting to play out due to factors such as climate change and population growth, [which] are putting a strain on the scarce water resources.

"Then enter water cartels that have made water access more complicated for their own personal gain and you start to understand why this is a ticking time bomb."

In Nairobi's sprawling Kibera slum, which is home to an estimated 500,000 people and is considered to be one of the largest slums in the world, access to water remains a daily struggle. 

The lack of sturdy infrastructure and effective policing has allowed water cartels to flourish in the tin-roofed settlement, charging exorbitant prices for water and leaving its residents without affordable access. Vandalised water pipes snake across the shanties, and water thieves often divert water for their personal gain.

Additionally, tampering with water meters to avoid payment is a common practice, with some residents even hiring youths to interfere with the metering process.

Daniel Omollo is a water vendor in Kibera. He moves around with jerrycans of water stacked in a makeshift cart. He sells a 20 litre can forKsh30 (approximately twenty cents). He argues that he does this to provide people with a basic necessity: water.

"I am in business like everyone else," he told FairPlanet. "Because water scarcity in this area is quite severe, I move around water points, collect the water and bring it closer to the people, saving them the hustle of walking for long distances." Omollo is among tens of vendors who are cashing in on the scarcity of water in the area.

Ultimately, slum residents end up spending up to one third of their income on water: which is a larger proportion than those living in formal settlements. 

The water police

Alive to these challenges and buoyed by the need to increase the volume of available clean water, bridge the production and demand gap and fulfill its socio-economic transformation agenda of investing in water and irrigation projects, the Kenyan government recently established a Water Police Unit (WPU).

The new unit is specifically mandated to protect crucial water assets in the country such as water towers, dams and reservoirs, and avert criminal activities such as attacks on water infrastructure, vandalism and theft.

WPU, which was launched earlier this year, is slated to have over 350 officers who will guard water assets in 34 counties and administrative zones across the country that either face severe water issues or are home to critical water facilities like dams. 

"The government has decided to categorize water infrastructure as part of the critical infrastructure, and therefore going forward, water and water infrastructure are going to be under the protection of the Critical Infrastructure Police Unit with special deployment which we are announcing today," Professor Kithure Kindikithe, Kenya's Minister of Interior and National Administration,  said while launching the police unit. 

"I have gazetted water and water infrastructure, water reservoirs and all critical water sources as part of critical infrastructure that falls under the Protected Areas Act, which provides for special protection and procedures of removal for persons who might be found in those places without authorization."

This comes as the government seeks to enhance water supplies by rehabilitating ruined water towers, constructing more than 100 dams, increasing irrigation areas to 3 million acres and planting over 15 billion trees. 

Towards holistic water policies

While lauding the establishment of WPU as historic, experts stress that more holistic and sustainable means of ensuring equitable water access in the country must be developed.

"Due to shocks like climate change and overpopulation, water will continue to be scarce and competition for it will intensify," Omollo from Kibera said. "While the water police unit is a great move, it cannot exist in isolation. It is an enforcement move, we need to bolster it with other initiatives like boosting water supply and creating awareness to citizens on judicious water use, water conservation and harvesting." 

Moreover, he emphasised the need to strengthen and expand the policy in order to address contemporary water-related challenges, while drawing inspiration from countries like South Africa, which have implemented measures to ensure equitable access to water amidst ongoing shortages.

Image by Amisom Public Information.