How Strategic Partnerships Are Reshaping Urban Sanitation Systems Across Kenya

Kenya’s push for universal sanitation depends not just on infrastructure, but on strong partnerships between utilities, governments, private firms, donors, and researchers. Nakuru’s experience shows that coordinated governance, SME integration, research collaboration, and digital innovation can accelerate inclusive and climate resilient sanitation services.

Kenya has made strong progress in expanding water access, reaching about 70 percent national coverage and targeting universal access by 2030. Major investment plans outline thousands of projects needed to close the remaining gaps. Yet sanitation continues to lag. In many towns and cities, sewer networks serve only a small share of residents. Most households depend on pit latrines or septic tanks, and many of these systems are not safely managed.

Utilities are officially responsible for sanitation services, but they often struggle with limited budgets and low cost recovery from tariffs. Climate change is making matters worse by increasing flooding, damaging infrastructure, and raising maintenance costs. At the same time, weak coordination between agencies, slow project preparation, and poor data systems make it harder to attract financing and scale up services.

A report developed by Eawag, the African Development Bank, NAWASSCO, Fresh Life, Open Capital, and the African Population and Health Research Center argues that solving these problems requires more than infrastructure. It requires strong partnerships.

Nakuru Shows What Partnership Can Do

The Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company, known as NAWASSCO, offers a practical example of how collaboration can transform service delivery. The utility serves more than 545,000 people in Nakuru County and has become a national reference point for safely managed sanitation. Although sewer coverage is still just over 30 percent, the company aims to expand significantly by the end of the decade.

One of Nakuru’s key reforms was setting up a Countywide Sanitation Technical Steering Committee. This platform brings together departments responsible for water, health, environment, planning, and finance, along with regulators, community representatives, researchers, and development partners. A separate Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Committee focuses specifically on urban issues.

These platforms help align plans, share data, mobilize funding, and avoid duplication. Instead of working in silos, different actors sit at the same table and make joint decisions. This coordinated approach has strengthened planning and improved accountability.

Working With the Private Sector, Not Against It

In sanitation service delivery, NAWASSCO does not try to do everything alone. The utility partners with licensed private vacuum tanker operators to provide fecal sludge emptying services. Clear agreements define pricing, performance standards, and oversight. Small and community-based enterprises are also integrated into the system, especially in informal settlements.

This hybrid model allows the utility to expand coverage to low-income areas while maintaining public health standards. It also formalizes services that were previously informal and poorly regulated.

NAWASSCO has gone further by creating a subsidiary company that converts fecal sludge into fuel briquettes and biochar. These products are sold locally, turning waste into a resource. This circular approach not only reduces environmental risks but also creates additional revenue streams.

Learning, Research and Digital Tools Drive Change

Partnerships extend beyond service contracts. Through the WaterWorX program coordinated by Dutch partners, NAWASSCO collaborates with other utilities in Kenya and abroad. Staff receive hands-on support in areas such as reducing water losses, improving fecal sludge management, using GIS for asset mapping, and building climate resilience. Training in proposal writing and project finance has improved the utility’s ability to attract funding.

Research institutions are also embedded in the process. Through the PREF4WASH platform, universities and utility staff jointly define research topics linked to real operational challenges, such as sanitation financing and climate adaptation. Graduate students work on practical solutions that utilities can test and scale.

Digital transformation has strengthened these efforts. NAWASSCO has moved from manual systems to integrated digital platforms linking billing, meter reading, and customer service. Mobile money payments have reduced revenue losses and made it easier for customers to pay. Cloud-based systems and enterprise software have improved transparency and efficiency. A customer mobile app now allows residents to report faults and track service requests in real time.

A Call for Smarter Partnerships Nationwide

The report makes it clear that scaling inclusive sanitation in Kenya will require action from all sides. National and county governments need to fully implement sanitation policies and explore innovative financing tools. Donors and investors should support project preparation and use blended finance to unlock investment. Utilities must formalize partnerships with small enterprises, invest in data systems, and build internal research capacity.

Kenya’s sanitation challenge is complex, but the lesson from Nakuru is simple. When utilities, governments, businesses, and researchers work together under clear structures, progress accelerates. Partnerships, not just pipes, may be the foundation of sustainable and resilient sanitation for all.