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Token-operated water vending machines are being set up by the government in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, where more than half the urban population lives. Slum residents have to walk more than 5 km or pay exorbitant sums to cartels of vendors who supply or steal from government water sources. For women, the search for water was time-consuming, expensive and dangerous, exposing them to sexual assault or rape. The new vending machines will be operated by plastic tokens which can be charged using the M-Pesa mobile money platform. Once the tokens are inserted into the machine, the amount of water to be dispensed can be selected. The water is sourced from boreholes dug for the purpose, and the residents can be assured of clean water, a commodity that has been scarce in much of their lives. The project is very efficient. Most residents now know how to use the system, and we installed solar-powered lights for security at night," Johnstone Mutua, a program officer at local nonprofit Shining Hope for Communities, said. "This means someone can get water anytime they want."
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