Why Mombasa grapples with acute water shortage every year

A water vendor crossing the street along Mwembe Tayari area in Mombasa County. Each water jerrycan goes for as high as Sh20. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

With the vast Indian Ocean at its nose, Mombasa is the perfect case of water everywhere but no drop from the taps to drink.

Experts and locals attribute this to years of sheer neglect of the distribution network, poor planning and the county government's failure to harvest the salty water for desalination.