A raging thirst is coming to Kenya

The water crisis facing Kenya is a national emergency.

It threatens not only to disrupt the lives of ordinary people, but also to negatively impact economic recovery.

In urban areas like Nairobi, the most visible manifestation of the crisis is a strict rationing schedule affecting virtually all neighbourhoods.

Elsewhere, the crisis goes beyond domestic water needs to cover such sectors as agriculture and power generation.

Already, one power generation facility has been shut down due to falling water levels.

The tragic truth is that Kenya’s water woes will only get worse in coming years.

Bluntly put, the country has failed to protect critical ecosystems that are key to natural cycles such as the Aberdares and the Mau water tower.

The situation essentially constitutes a national emergency.

In urban areas like Nairobi, the water crisis has meant that poor residents have to buy water at a price of about US50 cents for 20 litres, further undermining their already precarious livelihoods.

Further afield, competition for the resource by pastoralist communities is leading to ethnic tensions and violence.

In agriculture and power generation, diminished water flows mean that Kenya’s food security situation is worsening, and its capacity to generate electricity falling precipitously.

Kenya must radically overhaul its water policy.

The current crisis is a wake-up call that must be heeded if the country is to avoid a greater catastrophe.