Can engineers fix the institutions that fix the pipes? James Origa April 07, 2026 This page in: English © 2026 World Bank Group,

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/water/can-engineers-fix-the-institutions-that-fix-the-pipes- Don't fix the pipes. Fix the institutions that fix the pipes. — Junaid Ahmad Early in my career, I worked as a "street-level engineer," literally fixing pipes in the scorching sun with my own hands in rural communities across northern Kenya. At some point, I grew disillusioned. Despite being built to high technical standards, many of these water systems failed far too quickly. They were not failing because of faulty hydraulics or poor materials, but because the institutions responsible for operating, maintaining, and financing them were weak, fragmented, or misaligned. © 2026 World Bank Group,