An Investigation Into the Governance of Water Access in Informal Settlements in Kenya: a Case of Kibera Slums in Nairobi County

Abstract

The supply of cheap housing in cities has led to a steady increase in slum populations. Because most slums are informal and unplanned, they often lack access to even the most basic services. Water is an example of a need that most residents of these slums must pay for than their more wealthy and well-to-do neighbors, despite the fact that the bulk of them are on low incomes (Momanyi, 2005). In this study, we looked at the water governance issues in Kibera, Kenya, which is widely considered to be the largest slum in Africa. We focused specifically on the Public-Private Partnership between the two largest water suppliers in the slum, the Nairobi Water Company and Private Vendors, whose troubled partnership has significantly contributed to the ongoing water governance chaos. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the management of water distribution in Kenya's slums (using the Kibera slums in Nairobi County as a case study). The research used a survey methodology, with 385 randomly selected households serving as the sample size. Each head of household was given a questionnaire that they may fill out in their own time. Using the descriptive statistics and SPSS, we conducted a descriptive analysis. The research found that community engagement in the governance of water access was minimal in Kenya's informal settlements. The governance of water supply in Kenya's slums relied heavily on community input. The regulation of water access in informal settlements was significantly improved with the help of community engagement. Water availability in Kenya's informal settlements was mostly governed by community engagement. Locals' involvement in the project's early stages helped them to better understand their duties, improve the long-term viability of water delivery systems, and give them more say in water development efforts in their region. Their region had a preexisting legislative structure that regulated the administration of water supply in informal settlements. The Kibera informal settlement's legal structure had a crucial role in determining how water was regulated. Kibera, a Kenyan informal community, has serious problems with water access due in large part to the lack of a proper legal framework. The fact that the existing legal framework failed to account for established land tenure system in informal settlements limited the success of water governance in Kibera since substantial capital outlay required for water infrastructure were not provided. The disaggregation of the poor affected governance of water v access in Kibera informal settlement hence matters of the poor was a major factor that affected governance of water access in Kibera. Owing to disaggregation of the poor, the vulnerable groups’ or ‘disadvantaged’ were not catered for, equity was highly limited in the access of water. The disaggregation was key in determining the minimum amount of water per person per day in the light of different needs. This study recommends that the level of participation of the community in governance of water access in Kibera informal settlement in Kenya should be enhanced to avert many challenges that face governance of water access in Kibera informal settlement. The Nairobi City County Government should work with the water service provider (Nairobi Water Company) and in collaboration with the local community and other stakeholders such as NGOs and CBO’s to review the existing legal framework on governance of water access in Kibera informal settlement in Kenya. This will help to make the legal framework friendlier to the residents of the informal settlements. The government should also review the existing the existing framework on the disaggregation of the poor. This should be with the view of making it more inclusive as well meet the specific need of the poor in terms of water access.