ABSTRACT
This chapter presents Kenya as a case study where experiments with the privatization of water began way back in 1995. It deals with the supply and sewerage services and particularly tackles privatization of the urban water supply. The first part of the chapter deals with the issues that initially drove the privatization project. Nevertheless, for the case of Kenya, other issues were also at play including an increasing urban population, under-served slum areas, and the outbreaks of waterborne diseases. The second part deals with the implications of privatization for the urban poor. This involves critical issues of social equity and participatory water governance that are attendant to water privatization as well as the concept of "water for all". Finally, the chapter outlines and discusses the policy framework that may be useful in ensuring the welfare of the poor within the paradigm of water privatization, especially as provided for in the Water Act of 2002.
