As we marked the 2026 Day of the African Child under the theme, “Ensuring Universal Access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Every Child in Africa,” I was taken back to my childhood growing up in Kitui.
Like many children in rural Kenya or the informal settlements, my early mornings did not begin with books or play, but with long treks in search of water. After school, we walked for kilometers in search of water, carrying jerricans or leading donkeys to fetch unclean water for use at home. One would get back home after dark meaning there would be no time to revise the day’ s studies. That was the daily routine.
That journey was not unique to me. Sadly, many years later, it’s a daily reality to millions of African children today.
For these children, access to education isn’t just about classrooms, teachers, or textbooks. It is about whether they have safe water to drink, whether there are dignified sanitation facilities at school and whether they can spend their time learning instead of trekking daily looking for water.
A thirsty child cannot concentrate. A child worried about hygiene cannot fully participate in school. A community burdened by water scarcity cannot thrive.
This is why the theme of this year’s Day of the African Child is so important. It highlights the truth we must continue to confront water, sanitation and hygiene are not luxuries; they are fundamental rights and powerful enablers of opportunity, dignity and progress.
My personal journey came full circle earlier this year when I returned to Kitui County, at Kalwila Comprehensive School, where, as part of a collective effort to change that reality for others, I joined community leaders, parents, teachers and learners for the groundbreaking of a transformative project supported by the M-PESA Foundation.
With an investment of KES 22.5 million, the Foundation is supporting the construction of modern classrooms, an administration block, improved sanitation facilities and most importantly, borehole and water storage tanks. For the learners of Kalwila and the surrounding community, this is more than infrastructure; it is an investment in opportunity.
The borehole ensures that children no longer have to walk long distances in search of water before or after school. Instead, they will have more time to learn, play and simply enjoy being children. Access to clean water will improve health outcomes while better sanitation facilities will restore dignity and create a safer learning environment, particularly for girls, who are often disproportionately affected by inadequate sanitation.
We have already seen the transformative power of such investments at Kithumuoni Comprehensive School in Kitui County. During the recent handover of newly constructed facilities, one lesson stood out clearly: water is often the foundation upon which other educational gains are built. The investment worth KES 40 million gives the school access to reliable access to clean water and dignified sanitation which in turn contributes to improved attendance, better learning outcomes and creating an environment where children can focus on achieving their full potential.
This is the impact of investing in water, sanitation and hygiene. It is the impact of turning lived experiences into meaningful action.
As we reflect on the progress made and the work ahead, we are reminded that universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene is not just a development goal. It is a promise to every African child. A promise that their dreams will not be limited by preventable barriers. A promise that where they are born will not define how far they can go.
For me, this is deeply personal because I know what it means to walk those long distances. I also know what it means to come back and be part of the solution.
Together, we must continue to invest in solutions that restore time, dignity and opportunity to our children. Because when we ensure access to water, sanitation and hygiene, we are not just meeting a basic need. We are unlocking Africa’s future, one child at a time.
As we celebrate the resilience, talent and promise of African children, let us recommit ourselves to creating environments where they can truly thrive. Let us ensure that no child misses’ school in search of water and that every learner has access to safe, dignified sanitation.
Because the African child deserves more than an education, they deserve the conditions that make education possible.
And it begins with water.
Nicholas Mulila is Safaricom’s Group Chief Risk Officer, Safaricom PLC.
