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The quality of treated wastewater is a necessity. Not just for irrigation purposes but to guard local people and other users. Wastewater discharge from industries may contain constituents which have heavy metals like lead, nickel, and zinc. Some metals are important while at low concentrations but they become toxic if they are consumed at higher concentrations.

Wastewater is any water that has been contaminated by human use, domestic, industrial or agricultural. Dealing with wastewater problem is a menace. This situation has overwhelmed developing countries like Kenya and affected water surface as the discharge of raw wastewater has caused environmental degradation. Kenya generates a lot of wastewater from industries and households. As at now, the country is defined as water scarce nation and it has one of the world’s lowest water replenishment rates per capita; below 1300m³. Given the low national average rainfall since December 2021 while the increasing urban population puts more demand on water consumption and proliferation of waterborne sanitation, create widespread wastewater disposal problems. And in many cases wastewater is sometimes discharged onto open ground and small streams, creating ponds of foul smelling stagnant water. This unethical discharge of wastewater results to serious health problems.

Raw sewage is characterized with small particles and materials that are floatable and visible and also that are settle able. Strong foul smell released are from domestic wastewater such as rotten egg, flesh, vegetables, fecal, medicinal, due to the biochemical degradation of these organic materials. Sewage is the wastewater released by local members, businesses and industries in a community. It is characterized with 99% of water while the remaining percent consists of wastewater containing dissolved and suspended solid material.

The number of infections of COVID-19 was increasing rapidly in every part of the world. Countries characterized with high population, poor hygiene and sanitation conditions were mostly at risk. The existence of such a connection between sanitation status of a country to the level of COVID-19 infection rates was really important. The emphasis on hand washing with soap and clean water was just but a mere dream. Wastewater and fecal sludge discharged into water bodies without any level of treatment made it hard for people to access clean quality water.

Over the years, waste management and treatment has been the work of the local authorities. Now the National government, county governments, communities, private sector, non-governmental organizations, is involved in eradicating and managing the menace situation of wastewater discharge. Currently, Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), issue discharge permits. The main aim of wastewater treatment is to remove as much of the suspended solids and materials before the remaining water goes back to the environment. Kenya’s vision 2030 is to relocate Dandora dumpsite as well as develop and establish sustainable waste management systems in Eldoret, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nairobi, Thika and Mombasa. In 2015, a National Waste Management Strategy was formed. Also in 2017, the ban of polythene carries bags due to its non-biodegradable character. The ban yielded a positive impact towards minimizing solid waste generation. The issue of sanitation and waste discharge should be given priority and it should be an individual approach.

Water is a necessity and a natural resource, and dependent for life and at the same time, the backbone of growth and prosperity for mankind. Its scarcity affects social-economic activities, food security, and health.

Water scarcity means shortage in water supply and its demand is high or it can mean the limit in access of water due to failure of those who are involved (including institutions) in ensuring  a regular supply, inadequate infrastructure , or a natural calamity such as drought.

The growing water scarcity has turned into a bigger problem in Kenya.  Some of the factors that have aggravated water scarcity include global warming, discharge of waste in water resources, mismanagement of water resources, rapid rural-urban migration, and natural calamities such as drought.  Population growth has also caused an imbalance between water demand and supply in the country hence the increasing state of water crisis because of the incapability of meeting their water needs. (https://m.youtube.com > watch Kenya continues to fight widespread water scarcity as 80% of dams…-YouTube)

The United Nations under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, advocates for clean water and sanitation to all, and sets various indicators to make water sustainable enough for use by the year 2030. To achieve the 2030 Agenda, water scarcity is a priority, and its issue has to be addressed.

At what average is a country termed as a water-scarce country?

According to The Water Scarcity Clock and World Data Lab, a country is termed as water-scarce when the water availability is below 1700 cubic meters per year.  Areas with less than 500 cubic meters suffer from absolute water scarcity. Kenya is among the water-scarce countries across the world with per capita availability below 1000 cubic meters.

(https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=106638)

Experts went ahead to warn that Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nairobi, and Nakuru risk suffering shortages in the next 10 years if nothing is done to correct the situation.  Nairobi had been ranked as the most affected city. It was particularly important because of it being a capital city, the seat of the government, housing several headquarters, a working population, is said to consume the highest amount of water annually compared to other cities. 

In April, a landslide destroyed a major water supply pipe in central Kenya, which cut off running water to the entire Nairobi and its neighborhoods. The supply fell as much as 20% and the need of water was increasing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as more people were encouraged to wash their hands regularly to limit the spread of the virus.

(https://www.voanews.com/amp/covid-19-pandemic_kenyan-capitals-water-shortage-raises-covid-19-risk/6190393.html).

A July report by the Athi Water Works Development Agency showed that Nairobi had a water deficit of about 304,000 cubic meters a day.

In December 2021, some parts of the country had received substantial rains resulting to low water volume at Ndakaini Dam. The water capacity in the dam is the main source of water supplied to Nairobi County. The low water volume would cause water rationing.

Paul Murage, Muranga County Director of Meteorology, added that January and February would be dry months and that a few places will receive short rains adding to the water scarcity experienced in many parts of the country.

Water dams can solve the water scarcity problem at a macro level and benefit many. But, the country is posed with stalled and dragging water dams. They include, Itare Dam in Kuresoi North to benefit Nakuru residents, Umaa Dam in Kitui, Thwake Dam at the border of Makueni and Kitui, Karimenu Dam in Gatundu, Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga, Siyoi-Muruny Dam in West Pokot, Bosto Dam in Bomet, Mwache Dam in Kwale, Koru-Soin dam at the border of Kisumu and Kericho.(https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/amp/opinion/article/2001436619/kenyas-water-solutions-are-in-the-hands-of-every-household)

The Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, provided an update that there is an ongoing construction of the Karimenu 2 drinking water project in Kiambu County which will be implemented in May 2022. The work is 76% complete, nearly three years after the project was launched. (https://www.afrik21.africa/en/kenya-karimenu-ii-to-be-delivered-in-may-2022/amp/) In addition, there is an ongoing construction of the Northern Collector Tunnel in Murang’a County which will be complete by the end of 2022, is set to boost supply by 140,000 cubic meters per day.

Water scarcity will be an unending problem if its issue is not addressed well. Even as we wait for the rainy season we need to adopt the appeal of harvesting rain water and storing it for the future.

In 2015, The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agenda is set to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to reduce poverty and improve sustainability. Development Goal 6 advocates that every government should ensure that there is sustainable withdrawals and supply of clean water and sanitation. While the 17 goals were important, the fate of SDG 6 was and is crucial during the Covid-19 era.

Kenya just like any in other country, access to safe and adequate water supply has been a challenge. With a population of over 45 million people, a large percentage did not have access to clean water and sanitation. The water sector had not been immune from the impact of COVID-19. Even as the burden of the virus was spreading quickly, the status of accessing clean water and sanitation was unbearable. Water, sanitation and hygiene services played a major role in stopping the spread of coronavirus. Hand washing with water and soap was used as a primary non-pharmaceutical option in halting the spread of the virus.

Covid-19 had made the path to achieving SDG 6.2 target difficult. While SDG 6.2 focuses on sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, Covid-19 impacts on water and sanitation included reduced access to water and sanitation due to guidelines such as quarantine, reduced service provision, and physical distance guidelines. The world was being asked to wash hands multiple times in a day, wash and sanitize every object brought from outside, sanitize all public transport at a certain interval in a day. The water consumption increased manifold. A huge amount of water was being used for hand washing and posing a threat to the available fresh water which is available only in limited quantity.

Most people in urban areas did not have access to water due to the growing demand. In Nairobi, a small percentage had access to water connection while the rest relied on water trucks and water vendors who hiked the water prices. A small jerrycan went for 20 Kenyan shillings, but when the pandemic struck, the amount topped up to 30 Kenyan shillings.

The biggest informal settlement in Kenya, Kibera, raised alarms on the sanitation sector. The residents do not have access to sewer lines.

With limited supply of water, it would be difficult to achieve the frequent demand of handwashing and maintaining clean sanitation. The country had to be prepared enough to meet the demands and in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

I have always been fascinated by the myths and beliefs that people hold with regards to anger and true colors. But, why?  The perception that our angry side is our true color is a mindset that we have kept holding on for a while. It’s like we are looking for a particular character to convince ourselves that the person, is not who we think he or she to be. In the pursuit of this true color, we hold on to a single action or words from that person that makes it the person’s entire personality.

It generally happens to everyone, we get angry. Situations, money, love, seasons, and so on, change people, but addressing the change as our true color is definitely a pathway for betrayal and destroying everything. We all have different shades; bad, good and neutral. Nobody really knows what they are or what will become of them when they are in a drastic situation.

Just one bad argument, we tend to disagree with the perfect character; helping, loving, caring, calm, polite, name them all. In making people’s behavior their true color, we are blind to their hidden personalities, we become too quick to judge, too swift to think the worst, and we forget all the good things. We also become blind to their past, struggles, and circumstances that ignite their actions.

What about the memories they had?

What about the efforts they put together?

What about the nights they skipped, just for you?

What about the feelings they had?

At some point, we need to ask ourselves, why a person’s anger is what we decide to call the person’s true color. Your friends  or family have been good to you and then one day, they say something hurtful or their anger gets to you and you realize that, that is their ‘true color’.

People tend to react differently when angry, or handling pressure. It is up to us to make a choice in such a drastic situation. Am I going to maintain calmness, will I break down, will I hull insults to others, will I forget everyone who helped me, will I throw things and break them, will I hold a weapon at them or will I cut off communication?

We do good things for good reasons; out of kindness, love, sympathy, and because we can’t see what’s inside other people’s mind, we don’t have a way of knowing what motivates them to do what they do. We then do bad things because we want to. We show our bad side for good reasons. We have our moments of anger and outbursts, moments of calm and peace, moments of maturity, and moments when we are simply immature. Generally, we have different shades and the perception of people should not be glued on their one-off actions.

We are all imperfect. We can’t be good all the time, but centering on another person’s bad side is judgmental. And even if it is done, we aren’t aware of it. We need to give other people the benefit of doubt we expect them to give us. We need to recognize that as humans, and at different points in time, we will exhibit different characters.

How you react in drastic situations should not be entirely of how you’re judged. It is a part that people don’t see often and the ability to remain calm and act accordingly when you are angry, simply speaks greatly of your strength as a character.

She can’t explain,the differences in her body
Of how her nipples are growing painfully
Of how her behind now attracts men
She’s had enough of the whistles and the chicken calls
Her clothes don’t fit anymore
Her hips keep dipping low
Trying to accept her new form,might just take a while
‘You are a woman now’ her thoughts say
But the red spots on her garments humble her
With no umbrella to cover her
She might just opt for another option…
Unsafe for her being
9months down the line,a salary she never expected,
Crawls to her life
Gates of motherhood wide open
Yet too young for the title
Out there, she is a laughing stock
A daily chat spot
A misery,she says, a regret she cries

Your little fingers,perfect gift
A journey set to start with you
Your cry,an addiction I will live to
The knot that was a binder in the flesh world
Is the unseen love I have for you
Dear,I can’t wait for the little arguments we will have
The fights over your favorite time to bath becoming your time to eat
Your toothless smile, a happy laughter
Baby,welcome to our world
Just wrap your fingers around my index finger
And I’ll show you around

Fantasies building up
I can’t control them
As I stare at the picture
I wish I was her
Smiling with a hand wrapped on his shoulder
I am the last lady standing
With no past of a man
Only my father
My age mates have jumped the broom
While I
To tell you the truth
I am no way closer to the broom
Her smile
Clear indication of the power of love
Those pictures where the man stares at his love
And the lady responds with a smile
Yeah that one….
I wish I was her
Smiling with a hand wrapped on his shoulder
With no fear at all
Having a companion to share your fantasies
One to wake up with every morning
No don’t call me loser
No, am not bad luck
My story has some hitches
I wish I was her
Smiling with a hand caressing his cheeks
Am still waiting for my destined one
So that I can take a picture with him
So that another lady like me
Could wish that her life was like mine
So that the cycle continues…..

Give me a pen
So that I can write a story
A story about your struggles
Struggles that kept your going
Going for your goal
A goal that would wipe your tears
Tears that made your face scrunch
A face scrunch that showed your struggles
Struggles that told your story
The story that was to be written
Written by me
If you give me a pen

Who will tell our stories
Of how stubborn we were
And the many cases our parents had to solve
Of how we injured them
How we lashed insults

Who will share our photos
From the little beginning till how we succeeded
The photos of our stages
How we rocked in Christmas clothes

Who will tell of the games we played
From hide and seek to play station games
How we drew cars
Now we are driving them

Who will tell of the struggles we had
One night of no food to a month with only one clothe
How we stole food and shared the pieces

Who will show them our dreams
How we stuck on the way
How our enemies blocked the paths
But we still went through the thorns

But there is hope that
We will be represented well…