image by Nawawie Mathews
By Ruth Mumbi
In April 2024, I embarked on a transformative journey to Cape Town for the ‘Bridging Waters’ exchange program organised by the Africa Water Justice Network. Hosted by the African Water Commons Collective, this two-day workshop aimed to foster solidarity and knowledge exchange among activists confronting the dire challenges of water access, affordability, and governance in rapidly urbanising African cities.
This trip, my first with my infant daughter, Afeni Wangari Nabalayo, will forever be etched in my memory – especially because of the warmth and solidarity shown to us by South African women who epitomised the true spirit of our Africanness. They embraced us with open arms, treating Afeni’s well-being as a collective responsibility, and singing conscious lullabies that not only blessed her but also filled us with a profound sense of belonging.
Our incredible comrades Koni Benson and Faeza Meyer, both of whom I deeply admire, took us on a city tour upon arrival. This was not your usual tourist circuit, but a learning visit through different neighbourhoods and settlements that enabled an interrogation of the material conditions that everyday confront our people – those who are forgotten, unseen and unheard by dominant power structures.
Cape Town’s vibrant and politically conscious street art echoed, reminding me of the ghettoes of Nairobi. We met Mishrah, an artist and photojournalist, and her spouse Nawawie who had worked on and created a solidarity mural with the people of Palestine. Over the course of this encounter, Mishrah captured a powerful photo of Afeni adorned in a Palestine keffiyeh, a symbol of resistance that today resonates deeply back home. This moment connected profoundly with a mural painted in Nairobi by the Women’s Collective Kenya in solidarity with Palestinian women and children enduring Israeli occupation and violence – not forgetting water apartheid.
Despite an earlier travel hiccup that had occurred after my daughter’s name was omitted from my ticket, the journey to South Africa was seamless. Afeni’s calm demeanour during the six-and-a-half-hour flight earned her admiration from the flight crew. I am indeed grateful to the Africa Water Justice Network for their inter-sectional approach which allowed me to travel with my baby – underscoring their commitment to inclusive and meaningful participation of women in such gatherings.
image by Mishrah Sonday
Cape town: A harbinger of water privatisation in Kenya
On the second day, the African Water Commons Collective organised a learning circle that brought together local women leading the fight against water privatisation in Cape Town and our team of visiting water justice advocates from Kenya. We visited Khayelitsha and Eastridge (in Mitchells Plain) where we had a mutual exchange of experiences and learnings arising from efforts to organise communities around the right to water. Their stories of water being captured by private profiteers and the oppressive ‘smart metre systems’ were harrowing. These water meters, which limit water usage to a set amount of litres per household, and the related regulations which additionally impose draconian measures if the set quantity of water is exceeded, strip black elderly women of their identity, culture, and autonomy. This inhumane system forces women to sacrifice social and cultural practices out of fear of surpassing the set water limits; and this was evident when Comrade Nduta wanted to use the toilet but no household was ready to allow it.
I was left enraged by the Nairobi Governor’s previous praise for smart meters, a technology that has turned life into a living hell for many in Cape Town, especially in the black communities. Our encounters enabled us to arrive at a realisation that the Nairobi Water Justice Network must fiercely resist similar moves that are already being planned in Nairobi. Water privatisation disrupts social processes, erodes community cohesion and exacerbates gender inequalities, placing unbearable burdens on women.
In 2024, 28 million out of 53 million Kenyans still lack access to safe water. In many areas, a substantial proportion of household income is used to purchase water, which is often-times unclean, leaving whole families and communities exposed to water-borne diseases.
Last year, the Nairobi County Government introduced the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Services Bill(2023) which was aimed at privatising Nairobi’s water supply through the introduction of private investors in the provision of water despite it being a public good. This bill was only defeated after the Nairobi Water Justice Working Group and communities came together for a series of community conversations, held a demonstration and petitioned the County Assembly.
Having been defeated at the county level, the Kenyan government re-introduced and passed a water privatisation bill in the National Parliament. This new law allows the government to enter into water purchase agreements with the private sector. It additionally introduces heavy penalties on people with wells, boreholes, and water tanks, severely limiting access to water resources.
Similar to Cape Town, Kenyan women and communities who have been the custodians of these resources will be disproportionately affected. Many rural communities have historically relied on rainwater harvesting, while peasant farmers have come together to build water pans that sustain their farms between the rainy seasons. This bill threatens not only their access to water but also the food systems that are sustained by these practices.
Yet, amidst this bleak reality, the resilience and organisation of the Makhaza women inspired me profoundly. They have formed Water Action Committees, are engaging in popular education and finding ingenious ways to bypass these oppressive meters. Their relentless struggle against water privatisation is a testament to the indomitable spirit of African women fighting for justice and dignity, both in the past and present.
The convening concluded with comrade Sungu Oyoo delivering a powerful poem titled ‘Abolish Everything’. His evocative words resonated deeply with all of us, capturing the urgency and necessity of dismantling systems of oppression. Inspired by his poem, we reached a consensus that we must abolish all forms and systems of oppression that continue to marginalise and exploit our communities.
This exchange program not only strengthened our resolve but also reinforced our commitment to collective action. Together, we will continue to fight for water justice, resist privatisation, and build systems rooted in equity and solidarity. Our journey to Cape Town, with its challenges and triumphs, has ignited a renewed sense of purpose within us all, reminding us that our struggle for justice is interconnected and that our collective strength is our greatest power.
Ruth Mumbi is Coordinator of the Nairobi Water Justice Working Group and Executive Director of Women Collective Kenya.
