A tale of two neighbourhoods: the surprising ways integrity risks in urban planning and water management affect water supply for Nairobi neighbours

An exploration of how urban planning standards, regulations, and enforcement influence water supply provision in fast-growing cities.

By Kioko Dan Muoki, Urban and Regional Planner (MSc Urban Management), based on his thesis research on urban planning practices and the case of Parklands, in Nairobi, Kenya (Contact the author)

Urban planning integrity refers to the presence of transparent, accountable, and participatory processes in urban planning that resist corruption and ensure equitable outcomes for all citizens (Zinnbauer, 2019). In Nairobi, integrity risks in urban planning (not just in water management and services) directly affect water supply in different neighbourhoods in different ways. In the Parklands area, two neighbourhoods present contrasting scenarios.

Highridge, an upper-middle-class neighbourhood, was planned and is governed according to urban planning standards. Its residents have secure land tenure and generally have access to piped water only 3 days a week. Across the road, Deep Sea is an unplanned settlement that suffers from neglect and lacks the benefits of formal planning and infrastructure. And yet, residents have a constant water supply at neighbourhood water points.

These cases demonstrate that a planned urban development does not necessarily imply a planned water supply. And vice versa. Integrity risks are at play, directly impacting the lives and livelihoods of the city's residents. This has key implications for future developments, especially in an increasingly urban world.

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Urban growth outpacing services

There is high demand for real estate, and the Nairobi city planning authorities have responded by approving mass developments. However, supporting services, such as water infrastructure , have not necessarily followed.

Highridge neighbourhood reportedly experiences a three-day water-rationing period, and the water utility company has developed an "equitable distribution programme" stipulating the specific days and hours of water supply. Some high-rise flats and apartments avoid water rationing by drilling boreholes and capitalising on large underground reservoirs to supply tenants. On off days, some residents also purchase water at high rates from vendors from nearby neighbourhoods, such as Deep Sea. 

In the Highridge case, the absence of a detailed urban plan creates opportunities for political patronage and discretionary approvals, thereby exacerbating water scarcity.

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Urban development outpacing planning

Deep Sea also has its urban planning integrity failures. Public land has been subdivided without formal authorisation. This situation has led to land disputes and unclear land tenure status, where different individuals claim ownership and to the emergence of ghost landlords who lease out residences in the settlement.

Unlike Highridge, Deep Sea lacks a planned, centralised water supply network. However, private vendors have illegally tapped into the water supply lines that cross the settlement to supply more affluent neighbourhoods to the north of Deep Sea. They have established water points in the settlement and sell the water at a price thirty-three times higher than the set tariff rate.

Thus, Deep Sea settlement residents enjoy a constant water supply throughout the week, but they must fetch it from the water point and carry it home. Women and children are primarily responsible for this physical work.

In the case of Deep Sea, poor urban planning and inadequate enforcement of land-use regulations create risks to water integrity, such as non-transparent and unfair tariffs and illegal connections. This further complicates residents' access to water and increases their vulnerability.

Left: The water utility's distribution line passing underneath shacks and shanties in Deep Sea.

Centre : The water utility's distribution line crossing the nearby Mathari River on the edge of Deep Sea, into an affluent neighbourhood. Right: Water point in Deep Sea

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Moving towards sustainable solutions

This research and the contrasting case studies, illustrate the indispensable role of urban planning and integrity in achieving sustainable and equitable service delivery and resource management. They also highlight the connections between land tenure, access to water, and water security.

There are three priorities emerging:

1. Developing integrated urban plans that include and synchronise water supply and other auxiliary services.

2. Effectively adjudicating land and granting land ownership rights.

3. Promoting water integrity and enforcing regulations on water licensing and tariffs.

There is an urgent need to reform how cities like Nairobi manage their resources. The path forward requires collaboration, integrity, and a commitment to inclusivity.