This archive report was first published on 5 May 2021.
Published on May 5, 2021, a report by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme revealed that 59 per cent of Kenyans already don't have access to clean water and slightly less than 29 per cent lack proper sanitation.
The UN projects that at the current rate of drought and environmental stress placed on water, one in four people will have scarcity of clean water access by 2050.
According to Reckitt General Manager Sachin Varma, the country's solution to equitable access to clean water and sanitation lies in tackling both population pressure and climate change.
Varma emphasized that environmental factors are driving Kenya into greater water stress levels, either through deforestation and drought expansion, making the environment a big contributor to poor access to water and sanitation.
He noted that the impact of water and sanitation in Kenya places a huge strain on the people and the economy, driven by resulting implications on ill health, increased poverty, and low productivity.
Reports show that 21 million Kenyans have no access to safe and clean water and sanitation, estimated to cost the country Ksh 27 billion annually.
Varma stressed that having access to clean water will reduce healthcare stress, reduce poverty levels, and improve the rate of productivity, requiring investment in infrastructure for water, sanitation, and hygiene practices and education.
