ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP APPROACH IN WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES TO HOUSEHOLDS IN BUSIA MUNICIPALITY, KENYA

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water remains a challenge for most developing countries including Kenya, which is seen as a water-scarce Country. To enhance its provision, many initiatives have been put in place by the Government of Kenya; the most celebrated being the enactment of the Water Act of 2002, which opened the door for private sector to partner with government to revitalize water service delivery. Despite the introduction of public-private partnership approach in provision of water supply and sanitation services, the problem of accessibility still persist. The purpose of this study was to assess the public-private partnership (PPP) approach in provision of water and sanitation services to household consumers. Specifically, the study looked at water consumption; coverage expansion through public-private partnership approach; contribution of PPP approach in improving quality service delivery; relationship between water sources and household water related health problems and finally challenges facing PPP approach in provision of water supply and sanitation services. The study employed household survey methodology, using questionnaires and interviews to gather the relevant information. Stratified sampling techniques, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select sample size. Data collected was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using descriptive statistics. The study found that PPP approach has contributed to improved accessibility to water supply services since the majority (84.4%) of households could access water within a distance less than one kilometre. The study also found that water related health problems in the Municipality are not correlated to water source, thus there must be other factors that contribute to water related health problem in the Municipality. However, the provision of sanitation service is still poor due to the fact that it was still in the hands of local authority. Therefore, the study recommends that sanitation especially garbage collection should be handed over to private firms to provide the services to residents. The study further recommends harmonisation of policies in both private and public sector so as to have comprehensive policy framework that serves the interest of all stakeholders.