WASREB: Water Service Providers Record Improvement Performance 2025

By Harrison Kivisu

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) has released the 17^th issue of IMPACT Report which captures a significant improvement in the sector performance by 2025.

The report shows the average Water Coverage was 70 percent for piped water systems in the regulated utilities, which is an improvement of 5 percentage points from 2022/23 where coverage was 65%.

In 2022/23. Indicates there were additional 3,266,760 people served compared to a 2,676,822 increase in number of people within the service area of the WSPs. Production during the period increased marginally by 2 percent but the turnover increased by 9 percent.

There was also a growth of active water connections from the previous 1.81 million to 1.85 million representing a 2 percent growth. The population increased from 18.2 million to 21.5 million representing an 18 percent growth.

The report released on 25th June 2025 in Mombasa County presents the overall situation of water coverage at the county level by incorporating data collected on small scale water service providers in the rural and underserved areas.

This edition of IMPACT covers the period 2023/24 and analyses performance of 92 (88 public and 4 private) Water Service Providers and 47 Counties.

The report gives feedback to the public on how the water services sector is performing, with a view of holding to account institutions charged with service delivery.

Speaking after officially launching the report, Water cabinet secretary Eng Eric Mugaa reiterated that the Bill of Rights grants every citizen the entitlement to safe water and fundamental sanitation, thereby mandating both levels of government to undertake requisite measures for the gradual fulfillment of this right.

“I commend the Water Service Providers that are demonstrating good performance and express my optimism that they will sustain an upward trend and uphold consistent performance improvement. I duly recognize the efforts these utilities are making to realize our efforts of Ensuring water access to all,” Said Eng Mugaa.

H added” Looking at the other sector immediate goals of ensuring cost recovery

and reducing losses, the former recorded an improvement of 3% which is a

Positive indicator of financial sustainability.”

Further, the national average for Drinking Water Quality was 89 percent. This is a decline of 1 percentage point from the previous period.

Overall sanitation for the period declined by 1 percentage point from the previous period which is now at 92 percent.

This stands for populations who have access to facilities which include flush or pour-flush to piped sewer systems, septic tanks, ventilated improved pit latrines and traditional pit latrines (with a squatting slab).

The population served with sewerage services declined from 16 percent to 15percent in the regulated WSPs despite the number of people served increasing by 7 percent.