Water scarcity in Kenya is affecting the Kenyan population who relies on water resources, not only for drinking but also for agriculture and fishing. For example, wetland grasses are used to feed and keep livestock. Human populations throughout Kenya have been affected by a lack of clean drinking water due in large part to the overuse of land and increases in community settlements. A specific example of this is in the Mau Forest, in the highlands of Kenya, that is a major watershed for the country. In the Mau Complex, individuals have used land for their personal gain, creating homes and farms at the expense of the natural biodiversity.

Water supply and sanitation in Kenya is characterised by low levels of access to water and sanitation, in particular in urban slums and in rural areas, as well as poor service quality in the form of intermittent water supply. Seasonal and regional water scarcity in Kenya exacerbates the difficulty to improve water supply.