Research Article
The Cost of Efficiency: Analysis of Water Privatization's Impact on Indigenous Livelihoods and Environmental Security in Laikipia, Kenya
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, June 2026
Pages:
24-31
Received:
6 February 2026
Accepted:
27 April 2026
Published:
11 July 2026
Abstract: Water privatization is a contentious policy response to scarcity in semi-arid regions. This study investigates its socio-environmental consequences for indigenous communities in Laikipia County, Kenya. Employing a concurrent mixed-methods design, data were collected via surveys (n=15 community members), semi-structured interviews (n=25 with government, WRMA, and commercial farm officials), focus group discussions, and document analysis. Qualitative analysis identified five dominant themes: drivers of privatization, water access and availability, perceptions of water quality, environmental change, and governance and social conflict. Findings show privatization was primarily driven by state failure, corruption, and a quest for operational efficiency. Implementation involved minimal transparency or community consultation. While commercial horticulture farms secured reliable water access, indigenous communities faced significantly reduced water availability. 67.7% reported increased challenges, and 67.7% reported deterioration in quality, including elevated turbidity and chemical contamination from agricultural runoff. There was also greater unaffordability. Environmental externalities included river depletion (Figure 1), groundwater over-extraction, and pollution. These issues exacerbated ecological precarity. The process transferred control from communal to private hands, fueling social conflict and eroding local governance. The study concludes that neoliberal water governance, as implemented in Laikipia, prioritizes commercial efficiency over equity and ecological sustainability. This disproportionately burdens indigenous populations. Findings are subject to limitations, such as a small community sample size and the absence of longitudinal hydrological monitoring. We recommend policy reforms centred on mandatory community co-management, robust environmental impact assessments, and hybrid public-communal governance structures. These can help ensure water justice and long-term resource security.
Abstract: Water privatization is a contentious policy response to scarcity in semi-arid regions. This study investigates its socio-environmental consequences for indigenous communities in Laikipia County, Kenya. Employing a concurrent mixed-methods design, data were collected via surveys (n=15 community members), semi-structured interviews (n=25 with governm...
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Research Article
Fuel Subsidy Removal, Social Resilience, and Governance Trust: Evidence from Kogi State, Nigeria
Olunde Cletus Adeyemoh*
,
Oshewolo Segun,
Rotimi Mathew Ekundayo
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, June 2026
Pages:
32-47
Received:
22 April 2026
Accepted:
3 May 2026
Published:
6 August 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20261102.12
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Abstract: This paper examines household adaptation strategies and perceptions of policy impacts following the removal of fuel subsidies in Kogi State, Nigeria. Using the framework of Neoliberal Economic Theory, the financial context of subsidy removal was examined within the neoliberal discourse of market liberalisation and reduced state control. The research design is a survey with quantitative data analysed using cluster analysis, logistic regression, descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and ANOVA. These results show reduced consumption and the diversification of income sources as coping mechanisms, another demonstration of the kinds of economic stress inflicted by subsidy changes. Logistic regression indicates that income quartile and the nature of work are significant factors influencing the probability of adopting a coping strategy. At the same time, ANOVA confirms occupation as an important factor in attitudes towards government policies. Civil servants exhibit somewhat positive attitudes towards state policies. At the same time, self-employed and unemployed respondents have more negative attitudes, as would be expected given their relative exposure and access to state support. The paper finds that the government responses intended to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal (such as cash transfers and safety nets) were widely perceived as ineffective, poorly targeted and not transparent. Respondents’ distrust of government interventions following the removal of fuel subsidies was reinforced by their reactions to the policies. The study therefore highlights the need for policy responses that are transparent, accountable and carefully targeted, so that they meet both the economic and social needs of vulnerable groups in the state. By linking household coping strategies with levels of public acceptance or dissatisfaction, the paper contributes to the wider debate on the social and economic consequences of neoliberal reforms.
Abstract: This paper examines household adaptation strategies and perceptions of policy impacts following the removal of fuel subsidies in Kogi State, Nigeria. Using the framework of Neoliberal Economic Theory, the financial context of subsidy removal was examined within the neoliberal discourse of market liberalisation and reduced state control. The researc...
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