Senator Omtatah calls for urgent action on water, sanitation and hygiene for children

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has accused corruption and poor governance of denying millions of African children access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, urging both the National and County Governments to treat the issue as an urgent matter of children's rights.

In a statement issued on Tuesday to mark the Day of the African Child 2026, Omtatah said the continued lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities was not due to a shortage of resources, but a failure of leadership and accountability.

"This is not because we lack the resources to address these challenges," he said. "It is because corruption, mismanagement, and misplaced priorities continue to deny children what is rightfully theirs."

Commemorated every June 16 in honour of the Soweto students who died protesting against apartheid education policies in South Africa in 1976, the Day of the African Child this year is being observed under the theme, "Ensuring Universal Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Every Child in Africa."

Omtatah described access to clean water, safe sanitation and proper hygiene as "a fundamental human right", warning that millions of children across Kenya and the continent continue to be deprived of these basic services.

"Children walk long distances in search of water that is often unsafe. Girls miss school because sanitation facilities are unavailable or inadequate. Preventable diseases continue to rob children of their health, their education and, in some cases, their lives," he said.

The senator called on governments to guarantee access to water, sanitation and hygiene services in every school and community, while demanding tougher action against the theft of public resources.

"Treat the theft and misuse of public funds meant for water projects as a direct attack on the rights and welfare of children," he said.

He also urged authorities to involve communities, particularly women and young people, in planning and monitoring public services, and align budgets with commitments under the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

"We must stop treating African children as beneficiaries of charity. They are citizens with rights," Omtatah said. "The true measure of our commitment to children will not be found in speeches or commemorations. It will be found in functioning water systems, safe sanitation facilities, healthy learning environments, and accountable leadership."

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) warned that millions of Kenyan children, particularly those living in rural areas, informal settlements and arid regions, still lack reliable access to safe drinking water, decent sanitation facilities and hygiene services.

Citing data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, the Commission noted that while 68 per cent of Kenyans have access to at least basic drinking water services, the figure drops to 56 per cent in rural areas. It added that only 41 per cent of the population has access to basic sanitation, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing vulnerable children across the country.