How a County Leading Kenya in Water Coverage Still Has Thirsty Villages
For decades, the image of Kilifi County has been inseparable from water scarcity. In vast stretches of the county, particularly its semi-arid interior, water is a daily struggle that determines health, education, and human dignity.
Gradually, Kilifi has been turning this around through massive targeted investment in water connectivity.
According to the 2024/2025 Performance Report of Kenya’s Water Services Sector by the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), Kilifi is now among Kenya’s best-performing counties in terms of piped water connectivity. With approximately 1.1 million people connected to water services, only Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kiambu serve more residents.
That achievement shows serious progress for a county that has historically ranked among Kenya’s driest and most water-stressed regions.
However, statistics can sometimes obscure pressing problems. Behind Kilifi’s impressive water coverage are communities that still endure water insecurity.
Inside the Kilifi County Water Revolution
Governor Gideon Maitha Mung’aro’s administration has made water one of its flagship development priorities since assuming office in 2022.
County records say more than 700 kilometres of water pipelines have been laid across Kilifi, dramatically expanding household connectivity and reducing dependence on unsafe water sources.
Some of the most notable water projects in the county include:
- Expansion of piped water along the Baricho–Kakuyuni corridor
- A 30-kilometre water network linking Gongoni and Marereni
- Planned extension towards Kanagoni near Kilifi’s northern boundary
- New water supply systems serving remote settlements such as Chakama and Kwa Binzaro
The implementation has been spearheaded by the Kilifi County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water, Hon. Said Omar Said, whose department has aggressively pursued countywide expansion of water infrastructure.
The county’s long-term ambition aligns with the World Health Organisation (WHO) optimal recommendation of approximately 100 litres of water per person per day to meet domestic needs and maintain adequate hygiene.
If current momentum continues, Kilifi could become one of Kenya’s leading examples of successful county-led investment in water infrastructure.
The Sabaki Project: A Game-Changer for the Coast
Much of Kilifi’s recent success is linked to one of the largest water infrastructure investments ever undertaken in Kenya’s coastal region.
The Sabaki Bulk Water Supply Project, highlighted by WASREB as a model Public-Private Partnership (PPP), is designed to dramatically reduce water deficits in both Kilifi and neighbouring Mombasa County.
The project draws bulk water from the Sabaki (Baricho) Aquifer along the Galana River before treating and distributing it through an integrated network of transmission pipelines, storage facilities and retail distribution systems.
Structured under a Design-Finance-Build-Operate (DFBO) model, the private partner finances and constructs the infrastructure before operating it under a long-term concession agreement.
Once fully operational, the project is expected to provide approximately 80,000 cubic metres of additional water every day, supporting:
- Growing urban populations
- Tourism
- Industrial development
- Improved supply reliability
- Reduced dependence on costly alternative water sources
The WASREB 2025 Impact report described the initiative as one of Kenya’s standout examples of innovative financing for public infrastructure.
Understanding Kilifi’s Water Supply System
Many residents associate Kilifi’s water supply with the famous Baricho Water Works, but the county’s water network is a bit more complex.
Bulk water infrastructure is managed by the Coast Water Works Development Agency (CWWDA), which oversees several strategic sources, including:
- The Baricho Aquifer
- The Mzima Pipeline originating from Tsavo West National Park in Taita Taveta County
- The Marere Pipeline
- Tiwi Boreholes
Within Kilifi County itself, however, two local water service providers distribute treated water to consumers.
Kilifi Mariakani Water and Sewerage Company (KIMAWASCO) supplies:
Meanwhile, Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO) serves Malindi and Magarini subcounties. Together, these providers bridge the gap between regional bulk infrastructure and individual households.
The Gaping Inequality in Kilifi’s Water Supply
Despite countywide progress, water access remains uneven. The greatest beneficiaries of the Baricho system have largely been communities located along existing transmission corridors and along the Mombasa-Malindi highway.
Interior parts of the county, and particularly the most vulnerable, are yet to see the full-scale dividends of the initiative.
Few places illustrate this disparity more starkly than Ganze Sub-County, where water scarcity continues to define everyday life.
Although KIMAWASCO officially serves Ganze, much of the constituency remains behind in piped water access, largely because of geography and longstanding infrastructural bottlenecks.
While the Baricho Aquifer produces abundant water, transporting it to the vast interior requires hundreds of kilometres of expensive transmission pipelines, pumping stations and storage facilities that have historically received limited investment.
As a result, many settlements in Ganze remain disconnected from the county’s flagship water infrastructure despite living within the same county.
The Delayed Mzima Pipeline Project
Historically, Ganze has also relied primarily on the Mzima I Water Supply Project, a colonial-era pipeline constructed between 1953 and 1957.
Decades later, the ageing infrastructure no longer adequately serves the rapidly growing population. The long-awaited Mzima II Project, estimated to cost around KSh 50 billion, was intended to modernise the system and significantly increase water supply to the coastal region. However, implementation has progressed slowly amid inconsistent funding and prolonged budgetary delays.
The project has repeatedly featured in political commitments, including during presidential visits to Kilifi County as communities continue to face chronic shortages.
For many residents of Ganze, Mzima II represents a long-delayed promise of equitable development.
Custom Water Interventions for Ganze
Recognising the limitations of extending Baricho pipelines into the interior, county authorities have increasingly focused on alternative interventions, including:
- Borehole drilling
- Water pans
- Small community water projects
While the approach is understandable given the region’s geography, its implementation has produced mixed results.
Several groundwater exploration exercises in Mwanamwinga, Kayafungo and Kakongani have encountered saline groundwater, making treatment significantly more expensive before the water becomes safe for domestic consumption.
Meanwhile, the Karisa Hare Water Pan Project in Mirihini Village remains incomplete, reflecting broader frustrations about the pace of implementation. Without reliable completion of such projects, many communities continue depending on seasonal water sources that often disappear during prolonged dry spells.
Water Scarcity Becomes a Social Crisis in Kilifi
Water shortages in Ganze are inconveniences that have shaped virtually every aspect of daily life.
In some areas, residents still travel several kilometres to collect water from muddy ponds shared with livestock and wildlife. The consequences extend well beyond public health. Children frequently spend valuable school hours searching for water instead of attending classes. Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden, often walking long distances each day carrying heavy containers.
Civil society organisations working in arid regions have repeatedly highlighted how long journeys to water points expose girls to heightened risks of sexual harassment, exploitation and teenage pregnancy.
Success Should Not Hide Remaining Gaps
Kilifi deserves recognition. The county has moved from chronic shortages towards becoming one of Kenya’s leading counties in water connectivity, a transformation that would have seemed unlikely only a decade ago.
The Sabaki Bulk Water Supply Project, county-funded pipeline expansion and continued investment in rural water systems represent significant achievements worthy of national attention.
However, communities in Ganze and other remote interior locations continue to experience levels of water deprivation that contrast sharply with the county’s impressive statistics.
Closing that gap needs sustained investment in transmission infrastructure, accelerated completion of the Mzima II Project, completion of stalled water pans and innovative solutions for treating saline groundwater.
