For years, floods in Kisumu’s informal settlements have meant more than submerged homes and impassable roads.
In areas such as Manyatta, the overflowing waters often cut-off access to clean drinking water, exposing families to disease outbreaks deepening the daily struggle for survival.
Here comes a partnership between the Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (KIWASCO) and the Kenya Red Cross Society that is changing the reality for hundreds of vulnerable households through a pilot project aimed at extending clean water connections and strengthening community resilience against disasters.
The initiative, supported through funding from the Netherlands Red Cross and VEI seed funding, has already connected more than 100 households in Manyatta slums to piped water, easing a burden that residents say had defined their daily lives for decades.
For Faith Otieno, a mother of two from Manyatta B, access to water is no longer a journey measured in kilometres and hours spent queuing at communal water points.
Today, it is as simple as turning on a tap.
“This project has helped us in so many ways. We are no longer forced to walk long distances to fetch water for washing, cooking and other household chores,” she said.
“It has also improved hygiene because water is now readily available,” she added.
The project was rolled out in response to persistent flooding and recurring public health emergencies that continue to affect low-income settlements across Kisumu County.
According to KIWASCO Head of Commercial Services, Elda Odongo, the partnership with the Red Cross was informed by the increasing frequency of disasters that not only destroy infrastructure but also disrupt access to essential services.
“We have quite a number of disasters affecting communities, including floods, drought and disease outbreaks. That is why this collaboration became important,” she said.
The programme focused on improving disaster preparedness, increasing household water connections, strengthening sanitation awareness and building partnerships within the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
One of the biggest barriers identified was the high cost of water connectivity, which locked many poor households out of access to clean and safe water.
To bridge the gap, the project introduced flexible financing models targeting vulnerable families.
Through VEI seed funding, households unable to pay connection fees upfront were allowed to repay the costs over a 12-month period.
In addition, grants worth Sh.1.8 million were used to subsidise water connections and cover the first month’s water bill for about 90 households.
The programme eventually surpassed its original target.
“We managed to exceed our expectations and connected 102 households,” Odongo said.
Still, she acknowledged that sustaining such subsidies remains a challenge, noting that long-term solutions will require increased investment and stronger partnerships.
Beyond improving water access, the project also invested heavily in public health education and community engagement.
Joint outreach activities conducted by KIWASCO and the Red Cross focused on hygiene promotion, disease prevention and behaviour change campaigns aimed at reducing waterborne infections.
The interventions appear to have yielded results.
According to Kenya Red Cross Project Officer, Alfred Mboga, none of the targeted project areas recorded cholera cases during the recent outbreak that hit parts of the region.
“This project has helped communities understand the critical moments for handwashing and the importance of household hygiene,” he said.
Residents were also trained on proper sanitation practices, safe water handling and waste management as part of broader efforts to build resilience against future disease outbreaks.
The partnership further extended support to adolescent girls through Menstrual Hygiene Day activities, where washable sanitary towels were distributed to promote dignity, menstrual health awareness and environmentally friendly sanitation practices.
Mboga said the project was deliberately designed to strengthen KIWASCO’s ability to withstand flood-related disruptions on water infrastructure while ensuring vulnerable populations are not left behind.
Women, children and persons living with disabilities were prioritised during beneficiary selection.
Despite the gains, demand for water connections in informal settlements continues to outstrip available resources.
Many families still face challenges accessing piped water due to congested housing structures, limited space for infrastructure and difficulties obtaining consent for shared water connections within crowded compounds.
To address the unmet demand, some households have since been referred to KIWASCO’s social connection fund, which offers subsidised support for low-income consumers.
KIWASCO has since taken over operations and maintenance of the installed systems to ensure sustainability, while the Red Cross continues supporting community training and awareness programmes.
Encouraged by the success of the pilot phase, the Kenya Red Cross is now engaging donors and development partners to scale up the initiative to other underserved settlements within Kisumu.
Mboga said expanding sanitation infrastructure and increasing subsidies for low-income households remain critical in addressing the broader WASH challenges facing informal settlements.
“This partnership has demonstrated the importance of collaboration in extending clean water services to the last mile while building trust within the community,” he said.
For residents like Faith Otieno, however, the impact goes beyond statistics and infrastructure.
It is about restoring dignity, improving health and giving families hope that even in flood-prone informal settlements, access to safe water should no longer be a privilege.
by Vallery Nyagaka and Robert Onyango
