This National Water Services Strategy is a result of the water sector reform as introduced by the Water Act, 2002. The Water Act 2002 in sections 49 and 50 provides for a National Water Services Strategy to be adopted which aims at having a capable person at all times in every area of Kenya, providing water and sanitation services, to arrange for investments and implementation plans and to provide for national monitoring and information systems on water services. The Strategy addresses the challenge in providing sustainable access to safe water, sewerage systems and basic sanitation for Kenya's fast growing population. Sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation is still declining in terms of quality and quantity. The main reasons are old infrastructure, inadequate management and maintenance of existing infrastructure, insufficient sustainability, investments not enough concentrating on the options of fast tracking access and informal service provision operating outside a framework of basic standards and regulation. There exist extremely high levels of unaccounted for water. The main purpose of the reform is to separate water resources management and development from water services delivery. This involves, amongst other, the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), Water Services Boards, Water Service Providers, and local authorities. Guiding principles for the water sector reform, and therefore for the National Water Services Strategy, include, among other things: Sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation is a human right; Demand management has priority over supply management; Sustainability of WSS systems through cost-recovery by taking into account a pro-poor pricing policy, meeting equity as well as economic and environmental concerns. Public-Private Partnerships will be promoted to develop capital projects where feasible. Specific principles are set for water supply in urban settings, water supply in rural settings, and sewerage and basic sanitation. rural water service provision is generally community based and demand driven but open for commercialization wherever possible. The Water Services Strategy sets goals, medium-term indicators for achievement and strategic responses to identified challenges for rural and urban water supply and sanitation, particularly for the poor. Cross-Cutting Issues are identified in research and information systems, Sector Wide Approach to Planning (SWAP) and other coordination mechanisms, human rights and poverty alleviation, financing, gender mainstreaming, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and disaster management. Due attention is also given to the implementation of the Strategy, monitoring and evaluation, and cooperation on the national level for the Water Services Sub-Sector.
كينيا · 2007-09-01