Factors Influencing Water Service Provision In Kenya: A Case Of Nairobi City Water And Sewerage Company

Abstract

The study investigated factors that influence water service provision in Nairobi County. The purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying factors that influence water service provision in Kenya, Nairobi County. The objectives of the study were to determine how water sources influence water service provision in Nairobi County, to establish how water management influence water service provision in Nairobi County, to determine how the existing water supply infrastructure influences water service provision in Nairobi County and lastly to assess how environmental factor influences water service provision in Nairobi County. The research design used was descriptive survey research design. The target population was the staff working in Technical Directorate and specifically those in production and distribution departments. A sample size of 267 staff members from the company was selected. The study used stratified random sampling techniques due to the nature of the population studied. The two departments have a population of 877 staff. To achieve the objectives, the study used primary data in the form of questionnaires, and secondary data from literatures, articles, books and internet sources. The collected data was analyzed using package for social science. The study established that there are various sources of water in the Nairobi County including dams, rainwater, boreholes, runoff the river, weir intakes and springs. However, water treated at the production plants is sufficient to only 68% of the customers in the Nairobi County. The study found that increase in water sources, efficient water management and improved water supply infrastructure would lead to increase in water services provision while good environmental conditions has a positive relationship with water services provision. The study concludes that deteriorating infrastructure, poor maintenance, lack of new investments, unstable funding in the sector increases pollution of water resources, unclear legislative framework for managing water and lack of sector policy on water resources management lead to poor water service provision in Nairobi Water. The study recommends that the government should consider increase the water sources, clarity in resources management, increase infrastructure investments in water provision, care of the changing environment in order to continually improve water service provision to enable the Nairobi County to offer sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation to its residents and Kenyan at large.