Straddling the equator, Kenya is often viewed as an African bastion of peace and prosperity. Extreme poverty does, however, remain a real challenge for millions of Kenyans, as indicated by the country’s declining rank on the UN Human Development Index. Almost a quarter of the population lives on a dollar a day, and well over half earns on less than US $2 a day.
Despite a fairly diversified economy and democratic governance, basic social services such as health care, water supply and sanitation remain sparse, particularly in rural areas and in urban slums. Only 61% of the population has access to clean water sources and merely 43% have access to basic sanitation facilities. WaterCan has been working with indigenous partner organizations to bring clean water, basic sanitation and hygiene education to Kenyan communities since 1988.
Read more about WaterCan’s unique partnership approach that works to empower local organizations!
| Countries: | Kenya | Canada |
| Population (million): | 36 | 32 |
| Child Mortality (under 5 years) per 1,000 live births: |
120 | 6 |
| Average life expectancy (years): | 52 | 80 |
| Water supply coverage: | 61% | 100% |
| Sanitation coverage: | 43% | 100% |
| Physicians (per 100,000 people): | 14 | 214 |
| GDP per capita (US$): | 547 | 34,484 |
| UN Human Development Index Rank (out of 177 countries): |
148th | 4th |
Meet Christian Odhiambo, WaterCan's Kenyan Country Advisor
Revisiting Uthanya Primary School two years later…
In 2003 WaterCan began working with the local non-governmental organization Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO) to provide water supply and sanitation services to poor communities in rural areas of Siaya District in Western Kenya.
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