In the densely packed informal settlement of Mukuru Kwa Reuben, tucked between Nairobi’s industrial heart and its rapidly expanding urban sprawl, a quiet but profound change is taking root—starting with a woman and her vegetables.
Linet Kwamboka, a mother and entrepreneur, stands behind a modest wooden stall stacked with kale, tomatoes, and ripe avocados. Her business, once at the mercy of unpredictable water supply and poor sanitation, now flourishes—thanks to a series of targeted water and sanitation upgrades led by the WSUP.
“I sell vegetables, and this water helps me a lot,” she says, gesturing to the nearby prepaid water dispenser that has become central to her work. “Even my toilet used to be dirty, but nowadays it’s washed and clean. WSUP brought us water, and we thank them a lot.”
Until recently, residents of Mukuru—home to nearly 100,000 people—relied on unsafe and expensive water sources. Toilets, where available, were often shared among dozens of households. The risks of waterborne diseases were high, and so was the sense of helplessness.
Linet Kwamboka at her grocery business in the Mukuru Kwa Reuben informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.
But over the past year, WSUP, with funding from The One Foundation, has introduced prepaid water dispensers and a simplified sewer system (SSS), enabling affordable and consistent access to clean water and improved sanitation services. Residents now pay only for what they use, and the water flows at the push of a button—an innovation that has made the invisible burdens of daily survival more manageable.
The change is visible. Streets that once reeked of waste now drain cleanly. Toilets are regularly cleaned. And small businesses like Linet’s—intimately tied to hygiene and freshness—are seeing more customers.
“Before, people in Mukuru often walked long distances to find water, or paid inflated prices to middlemen. Now, they have dignity—and more importantly, control,” says WSUP Project Manager for Nairobi and Mavoko, Philip Oruoch.
The new sewer infrastructure also means fewer illnesses. Families spend less time and money seeking medical care for diarrohea and waterborne infections, and more time at work, at school, or building their livelihoods. In places like Mukuru, these are not minor gains—they are lifelines.
What makes the model work is its community-centered approach. Residents were involved from the planning stage and continue to help oversee maintenance and operations, creating local ownership and trust.
Linet’s story is just one among thousands. Yet it underscores a central truth in urban development: access to water and sanitation is not just about pipes and infrastructure—it’s about opportunity, safety, and the freedom to dream beyond survival.
In Mukuru, where resilience has long been a way of life, the taps have finally started to flow. And with them, a new future.