Mombasa, Kenya – June 25, 2025 — The Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) has released the 17th edition of its annual IMPACT Report, which assesses the performance of Kenya’s water services sector for the financial year 2023/2024. The report was officially launched at the PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort in Mombasa County, offering a comprehensive overview of service delivery by 92 regulated Water Service Providers (WSPs)—88 public and 4 private—and 47 counties.
This year’s IMPACT report introduces an expanded approach by incorporating performance data from small-scale water service providers operating in rural and underserved areas, painting a fuller picture of national progress toward universal water and sanitation access.
The report fulfills WASREB’s mandate under the Water Act 2016, which requires annual sector reporting to promote transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in service provision.
Sector Performance: WASREB 17th IMPACT Report Findings
The report evaluates the water and sanitation sector using nine Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Water Coverage, Water Quality, Hours of Supply, Non-Revenue Water, Metering, Staff Productivity, Revenue Collection Efficiency, Personnel Expenditure as a Percentage of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Costs, and O&M Cost Coverage.
1. Water Coverage
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National water coverage through piped systems improved from 65% to 70%, a notable 5% increase.
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An additional 3.27 million people were served during the reporting period, raising the total population served to 21.5 million an 18% increase.
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Active water connections rose from 1.81 million to 1.85 million, marking a 2% growth.
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Water production increased marginally by 2%, while turnover rose by 9%, reflecting better service efficiency and billing.
2. Drinking Water Quality
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The national average for drinking water quality stood at 89%, a slight decline of 1 percentage point, mainly due to underperformance by utilities in the large category.
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WASREB has reiterated the importance of Water Safety Plans and annual water sampling programs for quality assurance.
3. Hours of Supply
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The average remained at 17 hours per day, with improvements seen in small and medium utility categories.
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However, per capita consumption decreased from 28 to 26 litres per person per day, indicating a need to optimize supply reliability and demand management.
4. Non-Revenue Water (NRW)
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NRW worsened, rising from 43% to 45%.
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This translated into a financial loss of KSh 11.9 billion, equivalent to 203 million cubic meters of unaccounted water.
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WASREB emphasized the need for modern infrastructure, leak detection, and accountability systems.
5. Metering
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Metering levels remained stable at 97%, indicating strong performance in water usage tracking and billing.
6. Staff Productivity
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Staff productivity held steady at 7 staff per 1,000 connections, while medium and small utilities recorded 13 and 24 staff per 1,000 connections respectively.
7. Personnel Expenditure (as % of O&M Cost)
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This indicator improved slightly from 48% to 47%, although still above sector benchmarks.
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High personnel costs continue to limit resources available for operational improvements.
8. Revenue Collection Efficiency
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Improved from 93% to 95%, showing progress in billing and payment systems.
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Higher collection rates ensure reliable internal financing for operational sustainability.
9. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Cost Coverage
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O&M cost coverage increased from 95% to 98%, reversing three years of decline and boosting financial resilience.
Sanitation Services: Mixed Results
While overall sanitation coverage remained stable at 92%, reflecting access to improved sanitation facilities, sewered sanitation coverage declined from 16% to 15%. This is despite a 7% increase in the number of people served, equivalent to 319,299 individuals. The average number of people per sewer connection rose from 11 to 12, indicating overreliance on limited infrastructure.
WASREB urged stakeholders to invest more in sewerage infrastructure and promote alternative sanitation models to bridge this gap.
Top Performers and Areas for Improvement
The report also lists top 10 and bottom 10 performing utilities, based on aggregated KPI scores. WASREB emphasized the importance of knowledge-sharing and capacity building between high- and low-performing WSPs to foster sector-wide growth.
Read Also:
WASREB Orders All Small-Scale Water Providers to Register by April 28
About WASREB
The WASREB 17th IMPACT Report Kenya is one of the tools the regulator uses to monitor progress. The Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) was established in March 2003 and operates under the Water Act 2016. Its core mandates include:
Licensing Water Service Providers
Setting service delivery standards
Monitoring and enforcing performance
Promoting consumer participation
Reporting on sector progress
Through tools like the IMPACT Report, WASREB continues to champion transparency, accountability, and evidence-based policymaking in Kenya’s water and sanitation sector.
Contact Information:
Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB)
Website: www.wasreb.go.ke
Phone: +254 020 273 3561
Email: info@wasreb.go.ke