Design thinking in rural water management in Kenya: A case study from Marsabit county

This thesis examines how governance arrangements, community participation and sense of ownership shape the functioning, perceived benefits and long-term sustainability of a community-managed water project in rural Kenya, and how design thinking principles can be adapted to support more inclusive and resilient rural water governance. The study uses the Loglogo water project in Marsabit County as a qualitative case study, drawing on semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders involved in rural water project design, implementation and management. Prior to the project, water access was characterised by long distances, severe time burdens—particularly for women and girls—safety and health risks, conflict exposure and reliance on unsafe water sources. This demonstrates how scarcity is experienced as a socio-technical condition shaped by labour, insecurity, quality and reliability rather than by infrastructure alone. The solar-powered borehole delivered widely perceived “life-changing” benefits by reducing time and distance to fetch water, improving hygiene and everyday wellbeing, enabling girls’ schooling and women’s productive activities, and reducing exposure to violence on water routes. However, the findings showcase that long-term sustainability depends less on technology alone and more on legitimacy, transparency and collective action around tariffs, maintenance and rule enforcement, particularly under drought-driven mobility and rising demand. Participation was strong in mobilisation and acceptance, yet influence over core governance decisions remained uneven, highlighting the importance of meaningful decision-making power rather than symbolic involvement. Ownership emerged as an ongoing result of credible institutions and visible stewardship, while hybrid governance—particularly church-based custodianship supported by external partners—strengthened trust and continuity, but also created dependencies for major repairs and long-term support. The thesis concludes that design thinking is most valuable in this context when applied to the design of governance routines, accountability mechanisms and operations and maintenance systems, supporting adaptation over time rather than functioning as a one-off participatory method.