]This Ubuntu Waterhub kiosk serves a community in Kangundo, in Eastern Kenya. Photo: Mercy Nduati / Engineering for Change
Throughout 15 counties in Kenya, the startup Ubuntu Waterhub Africa has has built more than 70 concrete and masonry kiosks to distribute drinking water. Ubuntu has become known for its innovative water access solutions, including Water ATMs and digital meters. The venture earned a place in the ASME ISHOW 2022 accelerator program, and has scaled up.
“The smart water ATMs allow customers to access water either using M-Pesa or an RFID (tag pay) card. This enables customers to pay for water in small increments while ensuring transparency in revenue collection. This innovative system is unique compared to the traditional methods of fetching water as it addresses the issues of transparency and affordability, transforming communities and ensuring that communities have access to water at any time,” Nicholas Kimali, co-founder of Ubuntu, said in a recent webinar by Water for the World Kenya.
Water access challenges
About 34 million Kenyans have no access to basic sanitation, 20 million lack access to basic drinking water, and 33 million lack basic hygiene services. Ubuntu is a part of a larger national effort to improve access. The Government of Kenya launched an ambitious National Water and Sanitation Investment Plan aiming for universal access by 2030. Water access is also built into Kenya’s digital transformation agenda, including the adoption of smart metering, digital billing, leak detection, and IoT-based monitoring.
Kenya’s access deficits are not unique in Africa. Mr. Kimali observes that across the continent there are challenges in water scarcity, mismanagement, and a lack of revenue for borehole maintenance. As a solution, he calls for a mindset shift to embrace sustainability through revenue collection and community involvement. Ubuntu may have some solutions.
Ubuntu Waterhub’s solutions
One feature that differentiates Ubuntu’s smart water ATMs from traditional systems is that no registration is required. Secondly, it is easy to install, and the water is clean and affordable to low-income individuals.
In underserved communities, where mobile connectivity can be spotty, the startup uses satellite technology infrastructure.
“Recently, we visited Oloitoktok to install our water ATM systems, but there was zero reception in the area. To deal with the situation, we installed a mast to improve signal quality,” Mr. Kimali says.
To date, the company has dispensed over 4 million liters of water and installed 70 smart water ATMs in 15 counties. Ubuntu’s engineers can deploy up to 10,000 units in six to seven weeks per order. And the team repairs malfunctioning units within 48 hours through a collaborative process with local plumbers.
In efforts to deal with rampant illegal water connections and tedious traditional meter reading processes, Ubuntu has come up with digital water meters.
“The digital water meters solve these challenges by ensuring that landlords and tenants get accurate, real-time tracking and insightful analytics, empowering users to manage water resources efficiently,” Mr. Kimali says.
Through remote monitoring, the digital meters help identify leaks and usage patterns, promoting conservation and sustainability.
Possible through partnerships
Commenting on the role of partnerships, Mr. Kimali says that partnerships are valuable in the water sector. Ubuntu has partnered with Water for World Kenya for borehole maintenance, and with Jijinge Makers to develop kiosks built out of plastic bricks and other recycled materials.
Ubuntu fits into a larger national conversation about the technology needed for water access, says Water for the World Kenya’s Managing Director Justin Waimiri. Leveraging technology can ensure long-term sustainability of water projects in underserved and peri-urban areas, Mr. Waimiri says.
About the Author
Mercy Nduati is the Engineering for Change Editorial Fellow for 2025. She also works on the editorial staff of the Vennomax Media Network that publishes the Industrial Journal magazine. And she has written for the magazine Kenya Engineer, published by the Institution of Engineers in Kenya. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and media from Egerton University.
