Where is the source? Water sources for non-resident students at the University of Kabianga, Kenya

Abstract

The immense increase in residential developments around universities to provide private accommodation for the rapidly growing population of university students has constrained providing a safe, clean, and sufficient water supply. The Kenyan Constitution protects everyone`s fundamental right to access adequate water. However, the reality for non-resident students at the University of Kabianga (UoK) is far from their entitlements by the Kenyan Constitution. This project aims at establishing the sources of water available for non-resident students of the UoK. To achieve this, the study employed an exploratory approach that employed a descriptive survey. Its target population was the non-resident students (673 students) of the UoK, from whom a sample size of 250 students was selected. Simple random sampling was used in selecting the participants, while purposive random sampling was utilized to choose the study's private hostels (15 Hostels). The tools for data collection included questionnaires, key informant interviews, and an observation guide. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive statistics. Findings obtained from the study revealed that most respondents (68%) relied on rainwater during the rainy season. However, most students (46%) relied on wells/boreholes, while 44% relied on private vendors during the dry season. In addition, majority of the respondents (61%), the available sources of water were not safe for drinking. In terms of challenged faced by the respondents in accessing water, time wastage while trying to access water was stated to be the main challenge (78%) as this highly affected their studies. Taken together, the study show that the water sources are unreliable, and this may not satisfy the demands of water in the area. The findings of this study will provide a basis for the provision of a sustainable water supply of adequate quality to non-resident students` hostels at the University of Kabianga and inform the stakeholders of appropriate measures that should be put in place to ensure adequate water supply to their tenants.