Contributions of Governance to Water Availability in Mwingi Town

Abstract

The contributions of governance to water availability in Mwingi town. Identification of governance capacity to address issues of water scarcity in many parts of the world is pertinent and especially in urban areas characterized by high populations, high demand for water, high land rates, high capital generations, and low resources allocations and over-utilization. In areas with low water provision, governance intervention is key to create impetus environment for sustainable water provision. Mwingi town has rapidly growing population creating more water demand, which stands at 11,000m3 per day with only provision and supply of 2,700m3 by KIMWASCO. The study objectives address this scarcity. Water governance ranges from water management, water provision, supply and usage by the consumers. Areas with minimal water, either through natural or human provisions requires proper governance capacity to ensure continued supply of quality and quantity water. The objectives guiding the study are; (a) To investigate systems of water supply in Mwingi town, (b) To analyse the state of water governance in Mwingi town, (c) To proffer solutions to sustainable water reliability in Mwingi town. The literature underscored the water governance background by identifying water challenges, main actors of water in urban areas, the water provision and supply in the township with main water provider as KIMWASCO and identifying the demand and current supply, legal framework for water governance, the water governance structure and organogram, water governance issue and concerns in urban areas. The governance scarcity approaches with best practices anchored on factors of effectiveness, efficiency, and trust and engagement. The study uses governance issues as independent variable and water availability as the dependent variable, with human factors as mediating variable and natural factors as moderating factors. The systems theory is the overarching theory supported by sustainability theory, actor-network theory, collective action theory, and government as network model. The use of both primary and secondary data sources were used to gather information on study area and to inform the research exercise. Questionnaires as main primary data source were administered using the Kobo Collect tool and the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for data analysis. The study main findings are that the main source of water used in the town is KIMWASCO and the water vendors with a weekly water shortage for both households and hotels. The alternative water source included private boreholes, water kiosks, vendors and Tyaa River, with a bigger percentage of residents not harvesting rainwater. Some challenges encountered by water users include inadequate water, expensive water bills, salty water, and high transport costs. There are some measures for reducing water wastage like recycling water, educating employees, turning off water taps when not in use, and installing low flow showers. Many respondents expressed to lack knowhow on water policies and KIMWASCO faced challenges of low funding by the government, increasing water demand, which stresses supply, deteriorating and aging water infrastructure, high electricity bills, and low water supply from the source (Kiambere dam). The study concluded that for sustainable water provision in Mwingi town, governance actions are key. The insights of consumers on water shortages, scarcity, cost, connection, and quality issues will aid KIMWASCO and Kitui county government in addressing the concerns of water governance. To achieve the study focus on sustainable water solutions in Mwingi town the opportunities should be well utilized, and the raised governance issues and concerns addressed appropriately. This will mitigate all the water challenges on supply, distribution and provision in the township. This was by recommending some solutions to sustainable water supply in Mwingi town such as adequate funding of the water sector, water usage strategies to be maximally employed, involvement of public private partnership, quick response towards breakages and vandalism, provision of more alternative water sources, rainwater harvesting strategies, and formation of water committees to manage community water projects. The two main areas of further study included the effects of public private partnership in water provision in study area and water scarcity and pollution in the study area.