By Samuel Birech, Co-op Bank Director of Retail & Business Banking
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 31 – Most people do not think about water until it is no longer available. A tap runs dry. A toilet becomes unusable. A child struggles through a school day because there are no decent sanitation facilities. For many families, businesses and institutions, these are not occasional inconveniences. They are everyday realities.
Clean water and proper sanitation are among the most critical foundations of public health, economic development and environmental sustainability. Yet public conversations often focus on infrastructure projects, policy commitments and development targets, while overlooking a practical question at the heart of every solution: how will it be financed?
Technology and solutions already exist. Water tanks, solar-powered pumps, boreholes, purification systems and sanitation facilities are readily available. The challenge is not their existence, but their accessibility. For many households, small businesses and institutions, the cost of financing remains one of the greatest barriers to investing in water and sanitation infrastructure.
This matters because those closest to the challenge are often best positioned to solve it. A school administrator understands what learners need to thrive. A small business owner sees firsthand where water services fall short within their community. What is often missing is not the vision, commitment or entrepreneurial drive to act, but access to affordable financing that makes investment possible.
Finance alone cannot solve the sector’s challenges. Sustainable progress requires continued public investment, enabling policies and strong community leadership. However, financial institutions must ask an important question: are financial products designed around the realities of people seeking to invest in water and sanitation, or are customers expected to adapt to products developed for entirely diverse needs?
Encouragingly, some institutions are beginning to rethink this approach. In 2023, Co-op Bank, in partnership with Water.org, introduced the Co-op-A-Maji Loan, a financing solution tailored to support individuals, MSMEs and institutions investing in water, sanitation and hygiene. The facility also subsidizes appraisal fees for eligible customers, helping reduce the cost of accessing finance.
The response has demonstrated the demand for such targeted solutions. Since March 2023, the Bank has disbursed approximately 2,000 loans valued at Ksh.4.39 billion, surpassing its original financing target of Ksh.3 billion. These figures reflect more than financial performance. They reveal a significant and growing demand for affordable, sector-specific financing.
Behind every loan is a human story. A school in Kayole was able to construct sanitation facilities that provide learners with greater dignity and improved learning conditions. Customers across the Coast and Ukambani regions have drilled boreholes, bringing water closer to households, farms and businesses. Each project represents an investment in a basic necessity and demonstrates how access to finance can transform intention into action.
Equally important is building awareness and trust. Access to finance is not only about the availability of capital; it is also about ensuring potential borrowers understand the opportunities available to them and feel confident accessing them. Throughout 2026, customer forums held in Thika, Dagoretti Corner, Machakos, Kitengela, Ruai, Meru and Mombasa brought together more than 350 entrepreneurs and sector stakeholders to learn about financing options, share experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration.
The need for investment is becoming even more urgent as climate change places increasing pressure on water resources and infrastructure. Communities require more resilient, efficient and sustainable water systems to adapt to changing weather patterns. Yet despite the significant role finance plays in enabling these solutions, banks remain absent from global water discussions. At this year’s Stockholm International Water Institute World Water Week, Co-op Bank was the only banking institution represented. That fact alone should prompt the wider financial sector to reflect on whether it is doing enough to support water and sanitation investment.
The Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Conference & Expo recently held in Nairobi provided an important platform for discussing the future of the sector. While infrastructure and policy are featured prominently in these conversations, equal attention must be given to financing. Financial institutions have an opportunity to broaden access to capital, development partners can help reduce the cost of investment, and greater awareness is needed to ensure customers can take advantage of financing solutions tailored to water and sanitation needs.
Ultimately, success will not be measured by the value of loans disbursed or the number of facilities financed. It will be measured by whether a child can attend school with dignity, whether a family has reliable access to water closer to home, and whether an entrepreneur can grow a business while serving the needs of their community.That is the future worth financing.
