The Limited Promise of Kenya's Aquifer Discoveries

The recent discovery of several new aquifers in northern Kenya is welcome news for a region where much of the population does not have reliable access to drinking water and where resource scarcity has hampered economic growth. However, initial claims that the aquifers could supply Kenya with water for the next 70 years do not take into account the constraints Nairobi will face in developing the resource. While the increased availability of groundwater could support local growth, Nairobi must use the resource in a controlled manner for it to be sustainable. Kenya will likely struggle to develop the physical infrastructure needed to efficiently utilize the aquifers, and effective resource management will prove difficult as multiple sectors compete for the new, but still limited, groundwater reserves.