1. The Challenge of Divided Responsibility
The 2010 Constitution transferred service delivery mandates to 47 county governments, creating a multi-level governance ecosystem. However, this transition resulted in a lack of integrated coordination, turning potential decentralized efficiency into administrative silos. This fragmentation is a fundamental barrier to public health and environmental protection.
2. The Web of Overlap: Institutional Gaps
Sanitation governance is currently a complex web of actors with conflicting mandates:
Vertical Fragmentation (National vs. County): Policy and standard-setting are spread across various national ministries (Water, Health, Environment) and regulators (NEMA, WASREB), while counties manage implementation. This leads to national policies lacking clear implementation pathways or financial provisions at the local level.
Horizontal Fragmentation (Across Sectors): Within counties, responsibility is split between Health (containment), Environment (treatment/disposal), and Planning (land use). This lack of a unified authority often results in the neglect of critical links in the sanitation chain, such as safe Faecal Sludge Management (FSM).
3. The Five-Fold Cost of Disconnection
The failure to maintain robust coordination has tangible negative impacts:
4. Pathways to Coordinated Governance
To resolve these systemic issues, the chapter recommends a move toward unified governance:
Unified County Authorities: Supporting counties to create a single Sanitation and Hygiene Directorate to oversee the entire service chain.
Harmonized Regulatory Tools: Developing simplified, national licensing frameworks for FSM operators that counties can adopt seamlessly.
Institutionalized Joint Planning: Creating platforms like Inter-County Sanitation Working Groups to align budgets and strategic visions.
Ultimately, the sector's future depends on transitioning from a system of divided authority to one of shared vision and unified action through an empowered apex body and a single, enforceable National Sanitation Strategy.