In the town of Naivasha, where luxury lodges overlook Lake Naivasha and flower farms ship roses to Europe, there is a quieter story unfolding: a public utility is learning to serve the people who need it most. For years, low-income residents in the settlements of Kihoto, Kabati, and Mirera relied on expensive, unregulated vendors for water. Sanitation was mostly pit latrines, sometimes shared by dozens of people.
Women like Margaret Wanjiru Gathirwa, who manages a residential plot in Kabati, had grown used to complaints — about smells, about waste, about health.
“We just told people to be careful. But there was not much else we could do,” she said.
That began to change in 2018, when WSUP partnered with NAIVAWASCO, Naivasha’s public water utility, to launch a series of community-first reforms.
Backed by The One Foundation, the partnership would go on to redefine what water and sanitation access looks like in a fast-growing African town.
Utilities as engines of equity
Naivasha’s urban growth — driven by tourism and flower farming — has outpaced service delivery. In 2021, national regulators expanded NAIVAWASCO’s operating area, placing new pressures on the utility. Instead of shrinking, the company responded.
With WSUP’s technical assistance, NAIVAWASCO extended 8 kilometres of new water network, constructed 5.7 kilometres of simplified sewer lines, and created a “social connection kitty” to subsidise connections for low-income consumers. More than 100,000 residents have since benefited.
What is more unusual is how the utility did it: by developing a pro-poor policy, setting up inclusion frameworks for people with disabilities, and training staff on customer-centred approaches.
“We were not just laying pipes. We were redesigning the way the utility thinks about its customers,” said Harry Njung’e, WSUP Project Manager for Nakuru and Naivasha.
Where every drop counts
For George Njung’e Kaguai, a father and small business owner, this meant finally getting affordable, fluoride-safe water directly to his home. “My kids’ teeth had started showing spots. Now we have clean water, and we do not have to wait for vendors,” he said. “
For Benjamin Mworia, a tenant and father of two, it meant being able to find a home where his wife would not have to queue for water before dawn.
In schools, children now use gender-separate toilets and wash their hands with harvested rainwater tanks. Teachers report better attendance, especially for girls during menstruation.
Law, policy, and people
While pipes were being laid, WSUP also worked behind the scenes. In partnership with Nakuru County, they helped shape the Public Health and Sanitation Act, Water Regulations, and a County-Wide Sanitation Strategy. These frameworks set standards for service delivery, protect vulnerable groups, and enable scale.
WSUP has also supported WASREB, the national water regulator, to promote on-site sanitation guidelines — crucial in areas where sewers may never reach.
A future still under construction
Yet much remains to be done. Naivasha’s water coverage is still only 60%. Sewerage coverage remains below 20%. Without expanded investment, gains risk stalling. WSUP has outlined the next steps: scaling simplified sewers, supporting small-scale providers, building sanitation businesses, and completing last-mile infrastructure.
Each of these interventions requires funding, not charity, but investment in a smarter, healthier future for towns like Naivasha.
“Infrastructure is not just concrete and metal. It is a statement about what kind of society we want,” said Mr. Njung’e.
And in Naivasha, that society is starting to take shape.