For many years, residents of Manda Island in Lamu County have lived with a serious and painful problem: lack of clean and reliable water. What should be a basic human need has become a daily struggle for both people and animals.
On the island, there is no working well or piped water system. Families depend entirely on water brought by motorboats from nearby Amu Island. This water is sold at high prices, turning survival into a costly burden for already struggling households.
The situation is desperate. Goats, driven by thirst, knock over plastic jerrycans as they search for water. Residents must constantly guard the little water they manage to buy. Julie Wangeshi, a community health volunteer, says keeping water safe is a daily fight. Even after buying it, animals and neighbors in need often force her to share what little she has.
Health services are also badly affected. At the Manda dispensary, staff and residents worry about emergencies. Without water, safe childbirth, surgery, or basic hygiene become almost impossible. People are forced to use any water they find, without knowing if it is clean or safe.
At home, the shortage affects dignity, health, and family life. Many people bathe in salty ocean water, which causes skin problems. Some couples sleep apart because they cannot bathe properly. Women, in particular, suffer greatly. Tsuma Julo says some families go an entire week without fresh water, creating tension and discomfort in homes.
The financial cost is heavy. A casual laborer earning Ksh.500 a day spends about Ksh.300 on water alone. This leaves very little money for food, school needs, or medical care. According to residents like Tom Nyagilo, water is the biggest problem on the island—worse than hunger or unemployment.
This crisis continues despite government promises. The Office of the Auditor General reports that Lamu County spent Ksh.14.9 million on a project meant to pipe water from Shella to Manda Island. Years later, the project remains unfinished. The pipes are there, but the water has never flowed.
Efforts to get answers from the Lamu County Water Department have failed. Journalists’ phone calls and letters have gone unanswered, leaving residents feeling ignored and abandoned.
Every day, boats dock at the Manda jetty to fetch water, and every day the people wait—for accountability, for action, and for relief. Until a lasting solution is delivered, life on Manda Island remains a harsh reminder of how the absence of clean water can rob a community of health, dignity, and hope.
