Since January 2006, members of the coalition of slum dwellers (Muungano wa Wanavijiji) have worked together with Umande and Pamoja Trust to develop joint strategies to support communities design, model, finance, construct and manage improved water and sanitation facilities in Nairobi and Kisumu. The product of these extensive consultations involving communities, partner agencies, informed by the experiences and lessons learnt to-date was the ring-fenced water and sanitation fund

This is a special water and sanitation fund with a central kit for the communities to access loans towards improved water and sanitation services (facilities). It seeks to improve access of the rural and urban poor to adequate, safe and affordable water and sanitation services. The fund is a community owned facility with its own interim committee.

The source of funding will be from NGOs, parastastals, Government and Government agencies, local authorities and private interested partners. Once these facilities are set up they will be managed by communities who will be required to surrender a percentage through their income of not less than 7% for replication.

It draws its membership from saving schemes, environmental groups and networks of slumdwellers living and working in different parts of the country.

The fund aims to:-

• To develop a finance facility that is community owned, managed and that can provide appropriate financing for the improvement of water and sanitation facilities to residents of the informal settlements of Kenya
  
  
• To leverage additional finance for improved water and sanitation services, from the state, the private sector and other development partners
  
  
• To develop the skills and improve the livelihoods of urban communities through community based construction guilds and community contracting of water and sanitation systems
  
  
• To ensure the proper operation, management and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities
  
  
• To influence the adoption by state and non-state actors of financing models and practices necessary for impacting on the delivery of water and sanitation services and achieving pertinent national and international development targets.