Water access in Kenya: institutions are failing to act

A statement by Natural Justice highlighting the failure of Kenyan institutions to protect the constitutional right to clean water against pollution from the extractives and infrastructure industries.

• Despite the Kenyan Constitution's Article 43 (1) (d) guaranteeing the right to clean and safe water and Article 56 (e) requiring affirmative action for marginalized groups' water access, water pollution persists due to institutional failure.
• The extractives and infrastructure industries are primary contributors to water pollution, often ignoring the cultural value of water and the impact of contamination on local communities.
• Specific instances of pollution include the Owino Uhuru case involving a lead-acid battery recycling factory and the salt industry in Kilifi, where freshwater contamination has negatively affected livestock, crops, and maternal health.
• The production of oil and gas is identified as a high-risk activity that consumes large amounts of water and discharges effluent into water bodies, necessitating stricter water governance from both private and government investors.
• Natural Justice calls for regulatory institutions to prevent mining companies from polluting water, ensure non-discriminatory access to resources, and require companies to provide clean water as part of corporate social responsibility.

APA

Onyach, A. (2021). Water access in Kenya: institutions are failing to act. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/water-access-in-kenya-institutions-are-failing-to-act/

Chicago

Onyach, Abiud. Water access in Kenya: institutions are failing to act. Natural Justice, 2021. https://naturaljustice.org/water-access-in-kenya-institutions-are-failing-to-act/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Onyach |first1=Abiud |title=Water access in Kenya: institutions are failing to act |publisher=Natural Justice |date=23 March 2021 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/water-access-in-kenya-institutions-are-failing-to-act/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{onyach2021water, author = {Onyach, Abiud}, title = {{Water access in Kenya: institutions are failing to act}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/water-access-in-kenya-institutions-are-failing-to-act/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }