Service differentiation as an improvement strategy for access to water in urban low-income areas: evidence from three Kenyan cities

ABSTRACT

In dealing with the challenges associated with water supply in urban low-income areas, water utilities are increasingly adopting service differentiation, which revolves around servicing different customer groups with different supply modalities. This article examines how such differentiation through the use of water kiosks and yard taps satisfies the water needs of consumers in low-income areas in three Kenyan cities. Based on an analysis of the reliability, affordability and accessibility of the water supplied, we conclude that while service differentiation has led to some improvements in access to piped connections in low-income areas, it also risks reinforcing the inequalities in access to water.

KEYWORDS:

• Service differentiation
• urban water supply
• low-income areas
• equitable access
• Kenya

Acknowledgments

This article is a revised version of a chapter in the doctoral dissertation by Boakye-Ansah (2020), submitted to the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) of the University of Amsterdam. The authors acknowledge the anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions helped to improve and strengthen the arguments in this manuscript. The authors also acknowledge the participation of the staff and management of the Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company, Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company, Kericho Water and Sanitation Company, Water Services Regulatory Board and Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF), and are grateful for their assistance during the fieldwork. We also express our gratitude to the water operators and the non-governmental organizations operating in the low-income areas of Kisumu, Kericho and Nakuru. The article is based on research conducted within the Performance Enhancement of Water utilities in Kenya through benchmarking, collective learning and innovative financing (PEWAK) project funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland.