By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, June 29, 2026 - Kenya is seeking to attract greater private sector investment into sanitation services as part of efforts to accelerate universal access to safely managed sanitation across the country and the continent.
Speaking during the opening of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) Working Session on Mobilising Private and Commercial Capital for Safely Managed Sanitation, Principal Secretary for Water and Sanitation Julius Korir said sustainable financing would be key to closing the sanitation infrastructure gap in Africa.
The forum brought together government officials from Kenya and Nigeria, development partners, private sector investors, venture capitalists and sanitation experts to explore innovative financing models for expanding safely managed sanitation services.
Korir said Kenya has emerged as a continental leader in sanitation policy after becoming the first African country to develop a National Sanitation Management Policy that complies with both the AMCOW-led African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPG) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He noted that the policy milestone has generated considerable interest across the continent, with several African countries looking to Kenya's experience as they pursue their own sanitation policy reforms.
The Principal Secretary said that while sound policies provide the necessary framework, achieving universal access to safely managed sanitation will require stronger private sector participation and increased mobilisation of commercial capital.
He called for closer collaboration among governments, development partners, investors and innovators to bridge financing gaps and accelerate the delivery of sustainable sanitation services across Africa.
Korir also acknowledged the Gates Foundation, working through the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), for its support in developing Kenya's National Sanitation Management Policy, saying the partnership played a critical role in helping the country achieve the landmark policy.
The AMCOW working session is expected to identify practical financing mechanisms that can attract private investment into sanitation projects while supporting African countries in expanding access to safe and sustainable sanitation services in line with continental and global development goals.
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